The Olympian Sisters Book 2: The Great War
by queenpearl
Summary: The sequel to "The Birth of Titans". Olympic and her fleet find themselves in the middle of the horrors of World War 1.
1. Prologue

Prologue BELFAST IRELAND 2012

Arianna stared at the gathered fleet around her. When she first began to hear the Olympian Sister's story, she did not expect to see a fleet of the Ancients.

Besides the sisters, she saw Oceanic and Atlantic. She also saw HMS Dreadnought. The old battleship was quite friendly despite her intimidating looks.

Arianna also saw USS Pennsylvania with her sister, USS Arizona. Olympic hovered close nearby. Even in death, she was still protective of her adoptive sister.

A small ship approached Arianna. She flew both the German and British flags. "RMS Majestic." She said. I nodded. "I was Olympic's deputy, after the war."

"You were also German." Olympic said, coming over.

Majestic grunted. "True, I was a German merchant ship. I shared a name with a notorious battleship too." She said.

"Yes, and you wonder why Baltic used to call you Bissie." Olympic teased.

Majestic rolled her eyes. "When I was a German liner, I was named Bismarck. Oh yeah, there was more than one Bismarck around." Majestic added, seeing the look of shock on Arianna's face.

"Since you were there, perhaps you can begin the story this time." Olympic said. Titanic and Britannic came over.

"Great, more storytelling!" Titanic said, enthusiastic as always.

"Who's starting this time?" Britannic asked.

"Majestic is." Olympic replied.

"What!" Britannic exclaimed.

"She's not even English." Titanic added.

"My English is well enough, thank you." Majestic snapped.

"Enough." Olympic ordered before it could turn ugly.

"Sorry about that Majestic, please begin." Olympic said. Majestic nodded.

"In Berlin, Germany in 1914…"

Titanic cut her off. "It was Hamburg actually." She said.

Olympic opened her mouth to snap at her sister but Majestic beat her to it. "I don't know how you do it." She said.

"But you have a way of getting under my hull." Titanic grinned.

"Good." She said. "I like getting under the German's hull." Majestic growled.

"That's enough, Titanic." Olympic snarled. "We're here to tell our story, not to bring up old prejudices." T

itanic grunted and Arianna was sure she caught words like "Kaiser's girl" and "sour kraut" being muttered under her breath.

Obviously Majestic heard them too for she glared at Titanic before continuing. "It was 1914, in _Hamburg_ …" She shot at Titanic.

Titanic just stuck her tongue at Majestic. Majestic ignored her and continued her story.

BERLIN GERMANY SEPTEMBER 1914 _"MAJESTIC"_

The entire German fleet was gathered in Berlin's massive harbor. Cruisers were enjoying the evening sun. Battleships were playing the age-old game of battleship, much to the annoyance of the destroyers who were congregating near the center of the fleet, gossiping as usual.

The submarines were just being submarines, diving around under the hulls of their bigger floating friends and surfacing suddenly right next to them yelling "Roar!" to scare them. It was a comical site.

At least until one of the subs, U-20, surfaced alongside Moltke, a battle cruiser who was gossiping as usual in the fleet's center.

"Take that Lusitania!" The sub yowled as she surfaced. Moltke yelped and leaped backwards so fast that she slammed into the back of Helgoland, a battleship playing nearby.

"Hey, watch it!" She growled.

"Sorry!" Moltke exclaimed.

"U-20, you know better than to sneak up on me when I'm talking." She growled.

But U-20 wasn't listening. "You are the passenger liner Lusitania, you have been converted into a troop transport and I'm going to torpedo you." She growled, stalking forward.

"You forget one important thing." Moltke teased.

U-20 halted. "What?" She asked.

"Never let the enemy halt your pursuit." Moltke answered and leaped to the left, picking up speed as she went.

Growling, U-20 chased her. "You can't hope to win a speed case with Lusitania. Olympic maybe, she's slightly slower but you'd never keep up with a Greyhound like Lusitania." Moltke explained.

She fired off a blank round that hit the submarine squarely in her side. U-20 swore loudly. I winced.

"Who knew that such a small ship could have such a large flotsam mouth?" I asked my sister, Columbus.

She shrugged "Why do swift fighters such as destroyer's gossip like little girls?" She asked back.

"Shh!" Imperator muttered.

"If that was a real round, I would've sunk you." Moltke said.

"Does it matter? Lusitania doesn't have guns." U-20 said.

"Her decks are reinforced to handle guns heavy enough to sink you." Helgoland replied.

U-20 groaned. "Great, she's faster than me, and she has the potential sink me. How can I sink her?" She asked. Moltke laughed.

"By ambushing her." She replied. "Now dive and sneak up on me, and when you've gotten close enough, attack." She said.

U-20 nodded and dove beneath the surface.

Moltke looked for her, but didn't see her. That was the advantage submarines had, once they dove, they vanished and they left no sign of their presence until they torpedoed you.

A blank round hit Moltke's side and exploded, reeling her sideways. When she righted herself again, U-20 had surfaced and was laughing. "That's one sunken passenger liner." She said.

"That was good, very good. If I was Lusitania, it'd take about 3 torpedoes to finish me but one can do enough damage for you to move in for the kill with any ship." Moltke said.

Before she could teach the young sub more however, one voice rang out. "Quiet!" Called Nassau, one of the oldest battleships in the fleet.

The Kaiser had arrived to address them. "In August of this year, the empires of Great Britain, France, and Russia declared war on us. Today, we have Austria-Hungary and Italy fighting with us. But we need all the assets we can get, especially those that come from the sea. Great Britain has the most powerful, well-advanced navy in the world. They don't have their motto of 'Britannia rules the waves!' for nothing. With your help that phrase could be changed to 'Germany rules the sea!'" His words were meant with the cheers of the entire German navy.

"Cruisers." The cruisers stood to attention. "You are to patrol the coastline. Keep an eye out for Allied shipping. Also escort any neutral supplies into their German ports of call." The cruisers nodded and left.

"Battleships, stop playing battleship and start doing battleship." The Kaiser growled. The battleships saluted and headed over to the fort for weapons provisioning.

"Submarines." The submarines all surfaced and waited expectantly. "Patrol every square mile of the Atlantic. I want your main targets to be British merchant shipping. It is unrestricted submarine warfare in the English Channel, any Allied ship detected there will be shot on sight, no questions asked. But remember, stay within the regulations of the Geneva Convention. The last thing we need is neutral nations getting involved in this fight, especially America." The Kaiser announced.

"Destroyers, escort them out to the Atlantic, then return to the fort for armament." The destroyers saluted and left, leaving an empty harbor behind them.

The submarines were all calling dibs on who they wanted to sink. "I've got Lusitania!" U-20 called.

"Fine, I've got Olympic." U-103 replied.

"I've got that British cruiser Hawke." U-9 said.

"And I've got Britannic." U-73 said. The others looked at her. "What?" She asked.

"Britannic's a hospital ship. Hospital ships are inside the Geneva regulations, you heard the Kaiser, stay within the boundaries." U-29 said.

"The regulations say no torpedoing hospital ships. They never said anything against mining them." U-73 said. U-9 rolled her eyes at U-20.

"Submarines really should not be lawyers." She said.

"Tell me about it." She muttered in reply.

And so the German U-boats headed out into the Atlantic Ocean in search of the ever present Allied ships to target and sink.

I meanwhile was ordered to be placed into storage for my own safety, my sisters too. Imperator wasn't happy about this.

"Oh, come on!" She exclaimed. "I want to fight."

The Kaiser smiled. "I know you do. But you're too precious to lose should you get torpedoed." He said. Grumbling dreadfully, Imperator and Columbus returned to HAPAG's docks.

The Kaiser turned to me. "I know you do not believe this is the answer, Bismarck and I respect that. But you must understand that I wouldn't do this unless it was absolutely necessary. For the good of the country." He said. I nodded.

"And if we lose? What then?" I asked.

He sighed. "Then God protect us all. The Entente will be anything but kind if we lose." I nodded.

Returning to storage with my sisters, I felt strangely uneasy. Not because my friends were going off to war, but because of the war itself.

I feared for all liners, for all ships on both sides. The thought of feeling for a British ship, the enemy, shocked me. But it wouldn't be the last time I had to ask myself the question _'Where do my loyalties lie?'_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 SHETLAND ISLANDS SEPTEMBER 8 1914 _"OLYMPIC"_

The day dawned bright and clear. I was leaving the English Channel and Southampton-Cherbourg for New York on my regular trans-Atlantic service run. It was probably one of my last before I was pulled from service until the war's end.

As I turned north towards Queenstown Ireland to pick up more passengers, my radio picked up a distress signal. A ship had run aground off of Foula, Shetland. My new captain, Commodore Bertram Fox Hayes RD RNR, was quick to act.

Turning me around towards the Shetlands, yet again was I to steam full ahead. "2 other ships have responded to the distress call." He said.

"HMS Alsatian and HMS Forward have responded and are moving in. They're much closer than us, so most likely will be able to rescue everyone. As far as I know, there were no casualties when the ship ran aground."

"Who was it?" I asked. But as I did, I realized I already knew.

"Oceanic." Captain Hayes replied. I nodded.

At 21 knots, I steamed across the North Atlantic. I passed close by Queenstown where my passengers were waiting, but I didn't stop to pick them up. My only thought was to get to Oceanic.

HMS Forward called the other ships, including me, who had responded to Oceanic's distress signal. "All survivors on board." She said. "But we can't get Oceanic off that bank. She's got herself stuck on there pretty well."

I sighed. Using Hayes as my medium, I used my special gift and managed to contact HMS Forward. "Is Oceanic alive?" I asked.

"Yes." Forward replied. "But only just. Her Propellerous is greatly advanced; she shouldn't have been working at all." She said sadly.

"You couldn't get her off the bank?" I asked.

Forward sighed. "No." She said. "As I said, she's stuck on that bank pretty good. I couldn't get her off, I'm sorry Olympic."

I nodded. "Thank you for telling me. You did everything you could."

My captain wanted me to turn around and go back to Queenstown but I wanted to head to Foula and see Oceanic.

"We'll go on the way back." He said to convince me.

"But she could be dead by then. This could be my last chance to see her." I replied, struggling with all my might against his orders to have me turned around.

I had never learned how to control myself on my own. EJ had forbidden me to even try. But I was trying now.

At last, my captain relented. "Alright, we'll go. But we have to be quick."

And I was quick, as soon as he gave the word I lunged forward, racing through the water. My powerful engines driving me at my cruising speed of 21 ½ knots.

I arrived at Foula around sunset. "We don't have much time, Olympic." Hayes warned. "The tide could lower at any moment. You'll have barely an inch of water under your keel as it is."

I nodded. "I understand." I whispered.

I approached Oceanic carefully, Hayes was right. The water was shallow, there wasn't even a full inch of water beneath my keel and it was nearing high tide. I could not afford to linger long.

Oceanic lay on her side, partially submerged. Although the water was now deeper than her draft, she did not float free.

She was wedged in several inches of sediment that was holding her to the bank. She seemed so still and silent that I thought she was dead.

Then she spoke. "I knew you'd come, Olympic." She whispered.

"Shh." I said. "I'm here. Save your strength."

Oceanic laughed. "And why should I?" She asked. "I have none left to save."

"Don't say that!" I cried. "Of course you do. You always do."

She shook her head. "Everything has an end to it, Olympic." She said.

"Not now. Oceanic, please don't go." I begged.

Oceanic laughed. "You are just like Atlantic was." She said softly. "Fierce and brave. Always helping others around you, but you both were never able to realize when all your skills were for not; when you couldn't help your friends. And I'm telling you, Olympic that there is nothing that you or anyone can do to help me. I've been beyond help ever since Propellerous first showed itself in me." She sighed and relaxed for a moment, her eyes fixed on the stars above her.

When she spoke again, her voice had taken a strangely distant tone. "They are calling me." She whispered. Then she looked at me.

The sun had gone and the moon was out. Oceanic's eyes gleamed with starlight, as though she was already part of the Ancients. "You must promise me that no matter what happens, whatever you may hear, whatever the Triple Alliance does, you will see that White Star lives through this war. Lead them to prosperity, Olympic." She said.

"Oceanic, no, I can't. Not without you. White Star needs you, I need you." I wailed.

She lifted her bow out of the water as far as it would let her. "Promise me." She whispered. She let out a hacking cough and her whole body trembled as she struggled to stay alive.

I bowed my head. "Oceanic, please don't go." I said again.

"Promise me!" She insisted. I raised my head to look at her. Her bright blue eyes looked imploringly into mine.

"I promise." I whispered.

She sighed. "Thank you, Olympic."

For a few human heartbeats we looked into each other's eyes, blue into amber. Then something faded in the darker pair and Oceanic's head fell back into the water with a splash, she jerked once, then she was still, completely still and her eyes stared sightlessly into the sky.

"No!" I whispered. "No. No! NO!" My voice rose into a loud wail. "NO, OCEANIC!" I nudged her fiercely.

"It's no use." Hayes said. "She's gone, Olympic."

"But she can't be." I sobbed.

"I'm so sorry." He replied. I could cry all I wanted, but there was nothing I could do.

Wise Oceanic, my best friend, my mentor, my leader, my fleet sister was gone and she was never coming back.

It was with a heavy heart that I pulled into Southampton 3 weeks later. Celtic approached me.

"What did Oceanic tell you?" She asked.

I looked away. "She told me to keep you all safe. She-" I struggled to continue. "She named me her successor." I said.

Celtic looked long and hard at me. "Oceanic made a wise choice." She said at last.

Then raising her voice to address the gathered White Star ships who had gathered to hear the last words of their beloved leader, she said "Oceanic has named Olympic as leader of the White Star Line." The crowd of ships let out a roar of approval.

I felt a surge of pride as I heard my name being chanted. "Olympic, Olympic, Olympic." Docked at her berth nearby was Lusitania. She too had joined in the chant, acknowledging me as her equal.

 _We are still in this war together._ Her eyes said. _We promised we'd work together 'till the war's end. Becoming fleet leader does not change that._

I nodded. _Thank you._ I shot back.

She dipped her head respectfully and left. I was now leader of White Star and it was up to me to keep this fleet afloat throughout the Great War.

I pulled into New York harbor with a full load of passengers, perhaps my last before I was converted for the war effort. I heard that the Admiralty was beginning to call for British merchant ships.

I was to become a troop transport for the war effort as soon as there was room at Belfast. I could care less. Nearby, Arizona was nearing her completion. Her sister, Pennsylvania would be launched on March 16, 1915. Arizona would also be launched somewhere around that time.

"Hey Olympic." She called.

I looked at her. "Can you come over here?" She asked. "Just let me dock my passengers first." I replied.

I had a suspicion about what Arizona wanted. "I heard about Oceanic." She said when I came over. "I'm sorry."

I sighed. "She was an old ship with greatly advanced Propellerous. It was only a matter of time before she succumbed to it." I replied.

Arizona bowed her head. "She was a good, kind old ship. I'll miss her."

I nodded. "As will I." I murmured, looking away.

When I looked back, Arizona was gazing at me sternly. "I know you loved Oceanic, Olympic. But moping around won't help anyone. That's not what she would want. She would've wanted you to be happy." She said.

"You are right, of course. It was good of you to tell me." I said. I resisted the urge to race right up to Arizona, embrace her, and tell her that I loved her like a sister. But I didn't.

Arizona seemed to know what I was thinking for she said. "Do not ignore your feelings Olympic. I do not believe that Titanic would consider you unfaithful." _She knows! She must know what I'm fighting._ I thought.

Unable to hold back any longer, I raced over alongside and reached up to nuzzle Arizona's side. Pennsylvania gave me a dirty look but Arizona looked pleased.

"We come to it at last." She whispered and nuzzled me back.

"How I've hoped this would happen." I murmured.

"Do not be afraid of your feelings Olympic. They are what make you strong." She said.

I looked into her liquid gray eyes and saw how much this young battleship was like Titanic. Both possessed the same fighting spirit, yet both were kind and caring when others needed it the most.

"I do not care if you are a battleship, Arizona. Sisterhood is more about love than blood. And you _are_ my sister." I said and I meant it.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 BELFAST IRELAND OCTOBER 15 1914 _"OLYMPIC"_

"Olympic, can you hold still?" A workman called.

I realized I was fidgeting again. "Sorry." I muttered.

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can leave. And we can't do that if you're messing up our work all the time." He snapped.

"Sorry." I said again, this time actually sounding like it.

"Now drop your anchors and let us do our jobs."

Not too far away, some guns went off. "Now what is that?" I wondered. One of the workmen put his binoculars to his eyes and looked.

"Warships," He replied. "Fighting a submarine, it's trying to torpedo them." He said.

"Are they alright?" I asked. "I think so, neither has been hit. But that sub is locked and loaded with torpedoes." The workman replied.

"The sub's firing again." He narrated. "It's gonna hit one of them." There was a loud bang. "Oh, the escort ship intercepted it. Unfortunate, we could've used her in the war effort."

"Who are they? Can you get an ID?" I asked.

"The lone ship's coming closer so I think I can, hold on." He paused for a second. "Yes, the escaped ship is HMS Theseus."

I whirled around so fast that the workman fell off his latter into the water, splattering paint everywhere. "OLYMPIC!" He roared. I ignored him.

"And the interceptor, who was it?" I asked.

"Theseus's sister, Hawke." He replied.

My head whirled around in her direction. "What? NO!"

For the first time in my life, I sought complete control. I concentrated harder than I ever had before.

It took all my willpower, but eventually, I was able to back up into the wall separating the half drained dry-dock from the harbor. It broke easily and a deluge of water poured into the dry space, filling it within minutes.

Concentrating hard, I started my engines and reversed out of the dock and into the harbor. I raced away towards Hawke.

As I rounded a bend, nearly grounding myself, I now understood why EJ had forbidden me to try control. It was incredibly difficult and I had to be on high alert.

I quickly discovered that I could move much faster when I was in control. So, racing through the water at 26 knots, I reached Hawke in minutes. She was sinking quickly. When she saw me, she struggled to remain afloat. "No, Olympic, there's a German submarine around, U-9. Get out of here before she sees you." She gasped.

"No!" I growled, moving closer. "No, I will not leave you here to die, Hawke." And quicker than a dolphin, I swooped down off a swell and nudged Hawke upwards with my bow, causing her to rest evenly on the surface.

I maneuvered alongside, forcing her damaged area above the waterline. But now, I couldn't move myself.

"Go!" Hawke snarled again. "Or we're both goner's."

"NO! I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU!" I yowled. U-9 appeared then, her guns trained on me and Hawke.

"Olympic," Hawke said. "You cannot sink now. You are much too valuable. I'm a goner anyway. I wouldn't make it into port even if I tried." U-9 had locked us in her deck gun's crosshairs.

"Let me go, Olympic." Hawke begged.

"But, Hawke no…" I protested.

"GO!" She snarled. "I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you to do as I say."

A navy ship was a merchant ship's superior. If I was a deckhand, then Hawke was my captain and if she gave me an order like she just did, I had no choice but to comply. I was bound to my country.

Sighing, I dipped my head. "Yes, HMS Hawke." I nuzzled her softly with my bow. She returned it and we shared a brief embrace. Our eyes met as we broke apart and we came to a silent understanding.

"I'll hold this midget off for as long as I can. You just get back into Belfast. You're a mess." She added.

I glanced at my splattered half-painted decks. "Yeah, I guess you're right." I said.

"It's a shame you're not a battleship, Olympic." Hawke said.

"I would've been proud to fight alongside you as a fleetmate." I nodded. "Likewise Hawke." I said.

U-9 prepared to fire. "Now, go. GO!" Hawke ordered. With a final nod of farewell, I raced away to Belfast. I made the mistake of looking back. Hawke had taken two more torpedoes to her already damaged side. They tore her wide open.

"RUN OLYMPIC, RUN!" She yowled and she disappeared beneath the surface.

"Goodbye my friend." I whispered.

Laughing, U-9 turned to me. "You're next, liner." She hissed.

I frowned. "You'd be breaking the rules, midget." I snapped. "I'm a commercial passenger liner, a bit inside the regulations of the Geneva Convention if memory serves."

Pausing, the sub asked. "What's your name?" She asked.

"RMS Olympic." I replied.

"And your position?" She asked.

"Flagship of the White Star Line." I answered. The sub narrowed her eyes. "Rumor has it that you'll be used as an HMT for the war effort soon. Normally, I'd shoot you. However, another sub has a claim to you and I am bound to the laws of my sisters. But be warned, it would be unwise if you should cross my path again." And with that, she dove beneath the surface.

"I have a feeling I'll have no choice about that." I muttered. Glancing once to where Hawke had sunk, I tossed overboard a wreath that I'd been hoping to give to Titanic's final resting place.

"May you find good sailing among the Ancients." I whispered.

As I turned to leave, I heard Hawke's gentle voice on the wind. "Thank you, my friend." She whispered.

Very briefly I saw her shimmering form, already shining with starlight. Then she faded. Her eyes remained for a moment more, filled with love, and then she was gone.

"I will never, never forget you, my dear old friend." I whispered. And wearily, I returned to Belfast.

I was heading home on my final voyage barely a week later when I intercepted a transmission from the battleship HMS Audacious. She had struck a mine and was sinking.

Sighing, I turned about and headed toward her recorded position. "This will become quite common once we settle into all-out war mode." Hayes told me.

I sniffed. "Humph, it's already quite common if you ask me." I grumbled.

"That's my girl." He said as I smacked a wave crossly. Still grumbling, I made my way towards Audacious.

The battleship was listing heavily to one side as I approached. Another battleship, HMS Fury, had arrived on the scene. She seemed to be in deep conversation with Audacious but she looked up as I approached. "It's RMS Olympic, isn't it?" She asked. I nodded.

"Think you can manage a tow line?" She asked.

I dipped my head. "Yes, HMS Fury." I replied.

Fury nodded. "Good." She said.

Audacious didn't look too good. She was taking on water heavily, causing her to list severely to starboard. The sight of her brought up images of calm waters and icebergs in the dead of night, memories I did not want to relive.

"How did you manage to hit a mine?" I asked Audacious in an effort to keep her and myself distracted.

Audacious glared at me. "I don't know. Mines are under the water, not above. It's not like they have flashing lights or beacons on them." She snapped.

I shrugged, indifferent to her harshness. My time with Hawke had taught me to ignore the sting of a battleship's thorny tongue.

Seeing that antagonizing me wasn't working, Audacious switched tactics. "You're Titanic's sister, Olympic aren't you."

I wasn't sure which shocked me the most, the mention of my sister's name or the exclusion of my RMS prefix. "Yes, I'm Titanic's older sister." I answered, not knowing what else to say.

Audacious winced at the bitterness in my tone. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up." She said.

I shook my head. "Don't be." I said. "You battleships are trained in the ways of war. The loss of a fleetmate doesn't affect you the same way."

"You sure about that?" Audacious asked.

"Sure about what? I'm not so sure of anything, anymore." I said, looking down.

"How do you know what affects us? If Titanic was my sister, I'd react the same way you would." I looked at her in surprise. "We battleships may appear to be indifferent to the casualties of war, but in reality, the loss of any member of the fleet hurt us." She replied.

"When Theseus reported back to us at Cowes with the news of her sister, we were heartbroken. Hawke was one of our elders, we all loved her. I thought Dreadnought was going to find that sub and blow her to bits right then and there. Hawke was older than Dreadnought, the two were best friends. She was Dreadnought's deputy, next in line for the command of the whole navy. To Dreadnought, it _was_ like losing a sister." She explained. "Can you understand that?" She asked.

"Yes, and this is why I'm going to get you home in one piece. If I have to literally carry you to get you back to Cowes then I will." I growled.

Audacious rolled her eyes. "For a merchant ship, you're quite stubborn, Olympic." She said.

I grinned. "I know." I said.

I attached one end of the tow cable to Audacious' bow and the other end to my stern. Most of the battleships crew had been evacuated onto me. "Ok RMS Olympic, commence towing." Fury ordered.

I lunged forward and the slack in the tow line was lost as it was pulled taught. Audacious flew forward with a yelp of pain.

"Sorry." I called.

"Don't worry about it." She called back.

"I'm fine, just keep going." I did what she said. It wasn't easy though, I'd never done anything like this before and the swells weren't helping.

Their increasing height was snapping the tow cables and each time that happened, I had to stop and reattach them.

Then, it happened. I heard a loud explosion and looked back in time to see Audacious' bow explode as her forward magazines caught on fire.

"Why did no one bother to remove those magazines?" I demanded, stopping and using the resulting slack to turn around and face the sinking battleship.

I knew Audacious was done for. There was nothing that I or anyone else could do. And I could see that Audacious herself knew it too.

"Go, Olympic." She ordered. "Go and tell Dreadnought what's happened. The fleet must be warned of the German threat."

I shook my head, blinking back the tears that were forming in my eyes. "I can't just leave you here Audacious. It's not right." I whispered. "There is nothing you can do for me now, Olympic. Go and help where you are needed."

"Listen to her, Olympic." Fury said. I turned to look at her. I'd almost forgotten she was there and she too had forgotten my RMS prefix.

Not that I cared, but it was unusual for any navy ship, let alone a battleship, to be so informal. Her eyes were sad as she said "Audacious is right, there is nothing you can do. Come on, Olympic, let's go back to Cowes." I nodded and turned back to Audacious but the young battleship had disappeared below the surface.

"No." I moaned. Fury moved forward, gently nudging me away from the spot where the battleship had disappeared.

"Come now, Olympic." She murmured. "Audacious is gone, there's nothing more you can do." Reluctantly, I let Fury guide me south to Cowes.

"It's alright, Olympic. They won't hurt you, you're with me." Fury murmured beside me. We had arrived at Cowes and I was a bit unnerved by the rows of battleships staring at me as I moved past.

(Thank you for the "accurate" description, Titanic. No, I did not mean that. Can't you recognize sarcasm when you hear it? Oh, never mind!)

"It's not them I'm worried about." I murmured back. My eyes were on the big battleship at the end of the line. I didn't need Fury's introduction of "HMS Dreadnought" to know who I was seeing.

Dreadnought waited for us to approach before speaking. "HMS Fury, what have you to report?" She asked.

"HMS Dreadnought, I report the loss of HMS Audacious by a mine and following magazine explosion off Tory Island of 27th October." She said. Dreadnought nodded.

"And you are?" She asked.

"RMS Olympic." I answered, standing at attention.

Some of the battleships behind me sniggered. Dreadnought glared at them and they shut up.

"HMS Theseus told me you tried to tow HMS Audacious to safety before she sank."

I nodded. "Yes, I did." I replied.

"She also told me how you tried to save HMS Hawke without your captain to guide you, is this true?" She asked.

"It is." I answered.

Some of the battleships looked impressed, as did Dreadnought. "Well, we thank you RMS Olympic." She said. "It's difficult enough to move without your captain in calm seas let alone those with an enemy sub in them. Well done."

I dipped my head, embarrassed by her praise. "HMS Fury, escort RMS Olympic back to Southampton, I want to hear a full report when you return."

Fury nodded. "Yes, HMS Dreadnought." She said and saluted.

Dreadnought dismissed us and Fury led the way past the rows of battleships. They didn't look as hostile as before, instead they looked impressed and some even looked jealous. One small cruiser approached us as we neared the gate.

"HMS Theseus." She said.

I nodded. "Hawke's sister." I said.

"I never got to thank you for what you did that day. You tried to save my sister, with an enemy sub locking you in her crosshairs. You didn't run, but you confronted her, even after she sank Hawke. That took real courage, Olympic." She praised me.

I ducked my head shyly. Theseus continued. "Whenever I asked Hawke about merchant ships, she'd always talk about you. You made her happy, Olympic and for that, I thank you." She said. I dipped my head.

"And I thank Hawke for opening my eyes to the navy." I replied. "Hawke helped me see that you're no different than any other ship I've met. I used to think that navy ships were uncaring, cold and distant stuck up little brats but Hawke helped me see otherwise. You should be proud to have had such a wonderful sister."

Theseus nodded. "I am." She murmured, stepping back to let us through the gate.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND NOVEMBER 1 1914 _"BRITANNIC"_

Fury and Olympic moved side by side up the dredged Southampton channel in silence. Theseus said my sister had courage.

Olympic didn't think so, if she'd known there was a submarine still lurking around out there when she went in to try and save Hawke, she never would've left her dry dock.

Another question lurked in my sister's mind. The way some of the other battleships had looked at her, it was almost like they were envious.

What did she have that they did not have? They were the navy for crying out loud, she was supposed to be envious of them!

"What are you thinking about?" Fury asked.

Olympic sighed. "Why are they jealous of me?" She asked.

"They're jealous because you can do things that many of them can't." Fury replied.

Olympic snorted. "Like what, move fast? Yeah a great asset for running away." She said.

"No, you can move without your master. You put yourself in danger not once, but twice in the last month. You have no way to defend yourself against a torpedo or mine and yet, you drove right into the line of fire of both. Most battleships, though they'd never admit it, wouldn't even think about doing what you've done. And, moving the way you did without your master? No battleship can do control to that degree the way you did, not even Dreadnought. Us Battleships are trained to follow orders, we don't have minds of our own, not like you do. And as a result you can do things that are beyond our comprehension. You've done something that even our leader can't do. Dreadnought's the most powerful battleship of any navy afloat, and you've bested her. No wonder they're impressed and a little hostile." Fury said.

"Why would they be hostile?" Olympic asked.

"Because you've shown them that battleships aren't top ship at everything. Can Dreadnought move without her captain? No, she can't. Can Dreadnought read any person's mind without a medium? No, she can't. None of us can do what you can do. We have every reason to be jealous." Fury growled.

Olympic sighed. "It was Oceanic who first told me I had the Gift of Minds." She said. "And, it was Oceanic who warned me of the potential of my sisters."

Fury shook her head. "You cannot blame yourself for Oceanic's demise." She said.

Olympic sighed. "No, but I can blame myself for Titanic's." She countered.

Fury looked curious. "How?" She asked.

"When I collided with Hawke, the damages cost White Star a lot of money to repair and since they had lost the ensuing court case, the insurance company wasn't going to help them." Olympic began.

"So what did White Star do?" Fury asked.

"They decided to switch me and Titanic. Titanic would become me, and I would become Titanic. Then they would sink me so the insurance company would pay the money for the loss of 'Titanic.'" Olympic answered. "At least that's what I heard."

"It didn't work, obviously. What happened to prevent the switch?" Fury asked.

"Titanic happened." Olympic shook her head and laughed softly. "My sister was stubborn. Once she had her mind set to something, she wasn't about to let it go. She found out about the switch, and not surprisingly, it terrified her." Olympic murmured.

"Why?" Fury said. Olympic wondered if she should tell Fury the truth. She was a battleship. _But she's a British battleship._ The voice in her head argued.

Sighing, she told Fury about the hoax. "I don't know who came up with the plot, but I'll find out somehow." She growled.

"What if they're already dead? What if someone else found out before you? What if they killed the killer first?" Fury asked.

"Do you know who did it?" Olympic asked.

Fury shrugged. "I swore not to tell. And it's not my place to share this with you, anyway." Fury lowered her voice as they had arrived at Southampton. Olympic's gaze traveled over each one of the White Star ships docked there. She loved them all.

Oceanic had told her to keep them alive. She knew she had to, somehow. She turned to Fury. "Thank you for your help, Fury. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help the Navy." Fury nodded.

"Britain needs all her ships now. The Admiralty is calling on all ships for the war effort, you'll begin conversions tomorrow." She said.

Sighing, Olympic turned to her fleet. Adriatic approached her. "Olympic, we heard about Audacious. When you didn't report back we got worried." She said.

"Sorry." Olympic murmured. The fact that we were at war reminded my sister that she could be sunk at any time.

Olympic knew she would need a successor to lead White Star through the war if she was killed.

"Ships of White Star, hear me now." She called. The surrounding ships stopped talking and strained to listen.

"The British Admiralty is in need of our services. Starting tomorrow, we will be active ships in His Majesty's Navy. We will no longer have claim to the status of passenger liner and as such, will no longer have the protection of the Geneva Convention. We will be free targets for submarines, which is why I have decided to choose a deputy to lead you in the event that I am sunk. Celtic will be the deputy of White Star." She announced.

"What, me" came the shocked exclamation of Celtic as she made her way forward.

"I can think of no better ship to serve at my side." Olympic said gently.

"I never expected this." She murmured.

"And that is exactly why I chose you. I don't want a deputy who thinks she deserves power, I want a ship who knows she can serve her fleet and her country to the best of her ability."

Celtic nodded. "Then that's what I'll do." She said.

"Celtic, Celtic, Celtic" came the cry from the surrounding White Star ships. Olympic heard the strong voices of Lusitania and Mauretania, leader and deputy of Cunard, join in with the rest.

Now she had a loyal deputy to help her see her fleet through this war. But she still had no idea how she was going to do that.

Arizona's voice sounded in her head. _"Your feelings are what make you strong, Olympic. Listen to your heart, for that is where the answer lies."_

Olympic turned to look at Fury, but her eyes were on someone else. My sister thought back to the conversation she'd just had with the warship. Fury was looking at Lusitania with a silent warning in her eyes. Some secret understanding passed between them and Fury left.

 _Did Lusitania kill my sister?_ Olympic wondered.

Then she remembered something that Fury said. "What if the killer's already been murdered? What if someone else beat you to it?" A question occurred to her, one that made more sense than anything else.

 _"_ _Could Lusitania have been the one who avenged my sister?"_


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 NEW YORK HARBOR MAY 2 1915 _"LUSITANIA"_

"For the gazilliath time sis, just drop it!" I growled. Mauretania was pestering me nonstop about the German U-boat threat. She wanted me to have an armed escort across the North Atlantic but I wouldn't hear of it.

I was serving my country, period. To every ship, the crossing was a risk and I wasn't going to put up with special treatment just because I was Cunard's leader.

What's worse was that the other ships agreed with my sister. Olympic in particular was persistent on the escort idea.

"Mauretania's right, if Cunard lost you now, where would that put all of us? Back to square one where we're all trying to best each other in the trans-Atlantic runs."

She had a point. If it wasn't for me, Cunard and White Star wouldn't even have their alliance. They'd be trying to best each other as usual. The fact that a Great War was going on wouldn't change that.

But, of course, I wasn't going to admit to her that she was right. I was just going to do my crossings as usual.

I had given strict orders to Mauretania that should I be sunk, nothing would change in the alliance between Cunard and White Star ships. Naturally, she wasn't happy about that but so what?

It was in the best interests of both lines to work together. We were all British and the country came before our rivalries.

I watched my passengers board me at the keyside. Olympic was docked at the White Star dock nearby. She was staring at me with concerned amber eyes. "Be careful Lusitania." She whispered.

"The North Atlantic is dangerous enough without the added threat of U-boats." I nodded, understanding her concern.

"I'll keep an eye out for icebergs Olympic, don't you worry about that." I replied.

"And if you should come across danger?" She growled.

"You'll be the first to know about it." I answered.

Olympic relaxed. "Alright then." She said. "Go on, but BE CAREFUL!" She growled.

I grinned. "I'm not Baltic, I'll be careful." I laughed.

Olympic glared at me. "You may not be Baltic, but that doesn't mean you don't behave like her. Racing across the ocean at 25 knots is a setup for disaster." She snapped.

"I'm a Greyhound Sister so speed is what I'm built for. Besides the faster I go, the least likely I'll be in danger from U-boats." I replied.

Olympic sighed, her amber eyes weary. "Sorry I'm being such a worrywave." She said.

"It's okay." I replied.

"Have you been getting any sleep lately?" I added, looking at her tired form.

"A little." She admitted. "But no, I haven't been getting any _real_ sleep." She said.

"Well, get some. You'll need it for your own crossing." I growled.

Olympic rolled her eyes. "You sound like Oceanic." She said.

"She used to scold me on that all the time." I laughed. "Well, some ship's got to keep you in line." I replied.

Olympic widened her eyes in mock surprise. "Really, keep _me_ in line. Well, good luck with that Lusitania 'cause I'm not a ship who drops her anchors easily." She growled.

"Humph, I was under the impression you'd do anything I told you." I growled back.

"Orders from you, no way?!" Olympic exclaimed.

"I could just give them to another ship who'd you have to obey." I warned.

Olympic shook her head. "I'm not taking orders from Dreadnought. The battleship's nice but I won't listen to her if I can help it. It'd embarrass me to death." She growled.

"That's the whole point and I never said you'd be taking orders from her." I shot back, glancing at the Navy Yard.

Olympic saw where I was looking. "Hmm clever, Lusitania. Very clever, but not clever enough. Arizona's an American battleship and I am bound only to take orders from British battleships, even if they are rude and annoying." She said.

"Something tells me that you'd follow her orders no matter what." I muttered.

Olympic grinned. "Perhaps." She replied.

"Luce, it's time to go." My captain said.

I nodded. "I'll be right there." I answered. I turned back to her.

"I wasn't kidding when I said 'Get some sleep.' You need it." I growled.

Olympic sighed. "You never give up, do you?" She asked.

"Nope." I laughed.

"No, I guess you don't." Olympic rolled her eyes. "Alright, you win, this time." She added meaningfully.

I shook my head. "This won't be resolved anytime soon?" I asked.

"Nothing's going to be solved anytime soon." Olympic replied.

Her amber eyes were sad with the thoughts of all the ships she knew she would lose in the coming years. "It won't be your fault." I murmured.

"I know." She sighed back.

"Luce, now or we'll lose our chance. The US government says they can provide us an escort as far as the border but they can't stay long, we have to go." My captain called.

"Alright." I called back.

Olympic reached over to nuzzle my bow. "Stay safe." She murmured.

I touched her side gently. "I will, I promise." I murmured back.

We broke apart. The flame of comradeship was alight in Olympic's amber eyes. She dipped her head, moving back.

Pennsylvania came over. "You better hurry RMS Lusitania." She said. "Or you'll lose your convoy to the border."

I nodded. "Understood." I answered and left.

Pennsylvania turned to Olympic. "RMS Lusitania wouldn't have to hurry if some ships weren't being worrywaves." She scolded.

Olympic sighed. "And it's good to see you too, Pennsylvania." She said.

Pennsylvania glared at Olympic. "That's USS Pennsylvania to you." She snapped. Olympic rolled her eyes.

"I'll use the prefix to those who deserve it." She shot back. "What do you have against me anyway?"

Pennsylvania looked furious. "Can't you guess?" She asked.

Olympic shrugged. "I'm only doing what you've failed to do." She said. "I'm being a sister."

"She's a battleship, she's forbidden to have relationships with any vessel." Pennsylvania snarled.

"Even her own sister?" Olympic inquired.

Pennsylvania sighed. "Even her own sister." She replied.

"I'm giving her what she wants." Olympic growled.

"What she wants isn't always what's best for her." Pennsylvania shot back.

Olympic shook her head. "And you know what's best for her?" She asked.

"I can see that you don't." Pennsylvania replied.

Olympic sighed. "They say that battleships can't afford distractions. They say that the loss of a loved one in battle will cloud their judgment. Well, soon it won't be the distractions that will destroy you. Rather, it will be the lack of them." She said.

"Is that a threat, RMS Olympic?" Pennsylvania asked.

"No, it's a promise, USS Pennsylvania." Olympic replied.

"Can you see the future?" Pennsylvania asked.

"I can read minds." Olympic replied. "Seeing the future was my sister's gift and it seems I've inherited some of her powers. But I don't really know." Pennsylvania nodded.

"If you weren't trying to steal my only sister, breaking all the rules in the process, I might actually like you." She said.

Olympic grunted. "I'm not trying to steal anybody." She said. "I'm only doing what's right."

Pennsylvania sighed. "There's nothing I can say that will stop you?" She asked.

"No." Olympic replied.

"You can't stop me either, sis." Arizona called from her dock nearby. Pennsylvania gazed at her sister through sad eyes.

"You don't know what you're doing." She said.

"Yes, I do." Arizona growled. She looked at Olympic, a silent plea alongside the fear in her liquid gray eyes.

Olympic shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere." She assured the battleship. Arizona relaxed.

Pennsylvania snorted and looking back and forth between them she said "This'll destroy you both." She whirled around and sailed off.

Arizona sighed. "She is right, you know. We shouldn't be doing this." Olympic shook her head to clear it. "Why didn't you tell me you were forbidden?" She asked.

"Because the last thing I wanted was for rules to get in the way of things. I didn't choose to be born a battleship, all I wanted were the same things you have. I'm jealous of you, Olympic." Arizona said.

"Why would you be jealous of me? At least you can defend yourself in battle. You have a whole navy to protect you, to fight alongside you. You can order all the merchant ships around and they'll have to obey, you have everything a ship could ever want!" Olympic exclaimed.

"Yes, except real friends." Arizona replied. Olympic looked surprised. "When Pennsylvania said battleships are forbidden to have any relationships, she meant _any_ relationships." Arizona murmured.

"You can't even have any friends?" Olympic asked. Arizona shook her head sadly.

"No. I'm forbidden to have friends in other fleets, forbidden to have friends among merchant ships, I'm even forbidden to have friends among my own fleet. That's why battleships are usually solitary. They can't even be close to their own kin. I was hoping that Pennsylvania would be close but look how well that turned out." She bowed her head, tears forming in her eyes.

Olympic moved forward, nuzzling Arizona's side with her bow. Arizona responded by burying her bow into Olympic's side, the only place where she could cry in peace. "Shh, easy, easy." Olympic murmured.

Arizona pulled back, her eyes still watery. "I'm less a battleship than I thought. Battleships don't cry, ever." She said.

"Maybe they do." Olympic suggested. "They just don't let anybody see them."

Olympic looked across the harbor at me. "Be safe, Lusitania." She whispered as I headed out on another uncertain crossing.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 KINSALE IRELAND MAY 7 1915 _"LUSITANIA"_

I smacked a swell impatiently. It had taken me 5 days to get across the Atlantic, a day and a half longer than usual.

At an average speed of 16 knots, I was as slow as a rigged ship. Even Olympic was faster than me, no offense to the Olympian Sisters, but I was a Greyhound Sister, I was meant for speed. And right now, speed was the last thing I was doing.

"Why can't I go fast?" I complained to the helmsmen. He groaned. It was the 10th time today that I had made that complaint.

"Because, Germany's U-boats are everywhere out here and we need to be careful." He answered, stressing every word.

"But the faster I go, the shorter time I'm in the danger zone and the less likely the chance that I'll cross the path of a submarine." I growled.

"You're logic does make sense, but it's not my decision." He said. I rolled my eyes. "Figures." I grumbled.

Captain William Thomas Turner, a former commander of my younger sisters Mauretania and Aquitania, was called up to the bridge. "Now, what's the problem?" He asked. The helmsman turned to face him, shaking his head and rubbing his temples with his hands.

"Luce's is getting a little impatient." He replied.

"That's an understatement." I growled and revved my engines.

"Don't even think about it." Captain Turner growled.

"Why!" I wailed.

"Because I said so." He snapped.

"Humph." I muttered and jerked forward angrily.

"Now, now none of that." He chided. I decided to have a little fun and began to push up a bow wave.

"Lucy." He warned. Smiling to myself I picked up speed, relishing in the feel of the wind and waves.

Soon I was running at 23 knots. "Now that's more like it." I exclaimed.

"Lusitania, slow down!" Captain Turner exclaimed.

I ignored him and went even faster, racing at 25 knots towards Ireland. "Yes!" I yowled and smashed the swells eagerly.

"Lusitania, if you misbehave much more, I'll call in that escort." I decided to call his bluff and increased to my top speed of 28 knots.

 _"_ _Lusitania, listen to Captain Turner"_ said Olympic's voice in my head. Since she had the Gift of Minds, she could communicate with any person on the planet and buy using my captain as her medium, she contacted me.

She was a hundred miles to the west but she had changed course and was now running full steam towards me.

 _"_ _Ugh, Olympic you have a habit of intervening in the wrong things."_ I groaned.

 _"_ _Wrong to you, right to me."_ She sang.

I sighed. _"Butt out, Olympic."_ I growled.

 _"_ _No."_ She said simply.

 _"_ _Olympic, I'm warning you."_ I said.

 _"_ _What are you going to do, Lusitania?"_ She asked. _"Spray your wake at me?"_

A low rumbling issued from deep within me and emerged through my gritted teeth as a loud snarl. _"OLYMPIC, SPEED MAY NOT MATTER TO YOU BUT IT MATTERS TO ME. SO JUST SHUT UP AND KEEP YOUR BOW OUT OF OTHER SHIPS BUISNESS!"_ I yowled.

A hundred miles away, Olympic slowed but remained on course. _"Lusitania, I just don't want you to get hurt."_ She whispered.

I sighed, my anger fading. _"I know."_ I replied.

 _"_ _Please, listen to your captain, he's right. Remember, you're not just carrying passengers."_ She said.

I winced, remembering that Cunard's secret agreement with the government gave me an Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC) status in times of war when I carried munitions of small arms across the Atlantic. This meant that I had no protection from enemy patrols.

It was also illegal. I hated breaking the law but it was to help Great Britain win the war. I also knew that there were some within the government that wanted me to sink to get the United States in the war on the side of the Entente. I was willing to go along with it, if it would help Britain.

 _"_ _Olympic, I'll be fine."_ My voice shook with the lie and I struggled to keep my thoughts hidden from the mind-reading ship. Olympic sighed, she didn't buy it but she had the good sense to drop it as I'd suggested.

 _"_ _Alright, stay safe."_ She said.

 _"_ _I will."_ I said.

 _"_ _Bye."_ She said.

 _"_ _Bye."_ I said.

"Well, now you heard the mountain, slow down Lusitania." Captain Turner ordered.

I did and for good measure gave him and the crew a good toss around the bridge. "That's my girl." Captain Turner sang.

I grinned. "I know." I replied.

We began a course change for the entrance into the English Channel and our Southampton destination. Then, it happened. I felt a thud against my side, as if I'd hit something followed by an upward jet of water less than a second later. With a yelp, I swerved to the side.

As water began pouring in from the hole in my hull, I felt an internal explosion. I shrieked in pain.

"The ammunition." I howled fearfully. Without thinking, I sped up, racing away from the unseen submarine towards the English Channel.

"No Lusitania, you're making the water come in even faster and we can't launch the boats when you're going so fast." Captain Turner called.

"Alright." I called back and slowed to a stop.

"Send an SOS." I growled. Captain Turner nodded. Turning to his first officer he relayed my order. He ran to the Marconi Room.

My wireless wasn't as strong as Olympic's but it still had a good range. Olympic was one of the first ships to respond to my distress call.

"We're coming as fast as we can." She said and for good measure increased her speed to her max of 23 knots.

Her captain had all hot water shut off and every available ounce of steam put into the engines. The result was a sustained 25 knots and quick bursts of speed up to 28 knots.

"Just like last time." Olympic muttered, a flicker of a memory shadowing her eyes.

"Let's hope we're not too late on the second round." Captain Haddock growled.

"You hold on, Luce." Olympic yowled.

"Believe me, I'm trying." I groaned.

"We're not far, maybe 100 miles, maximum. We should be there within 3 hours." She said.

"Just hurry." I whispered.

My crew was trying to lower the lifeboats but my list had increased to the point where it became impossible to launch them on one side.

On the other side, the crew was having equal trouble. The lack of winches prevented them from lowering many at a time so they were forced to lower them one by one and that took up precious time.

Olympic may be an hour away, but I knew I had less than that. The water was now up to the bridge. I didn't bother to tell Captain Turner to save himself, I knew him too well.

"We were in this together, we shall die in this together." He said.

I nodded. "It was an honor serving with you." I whispered.

"And you Lusitania, Greyhound of the North Atlantic." He said.

Olympic interjected then. "We're maybe about 40 miles out and closing fast." She said.

"I've got less than 10 minutes left." I told her.

"No, not that fast." She whispered.

I sighed. "My cargo exploded." I said.

She nodded. "I was afraid of that." She murmured.

"Just rescue my passengers, Olympic. Rescue as many as you can. I ask nothing more." I gasped and sank below the surface. As I went under, I saw the outline of my killer.

Her turquoise eyes met mine, filled with shock and horror. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"I forgive you for this." I said and allowed the darkness to consume me.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 NEW YORK HARBOR JUNE 19 1915 _"OLYMPIC"_

Mauretania met me outside the harbor. I'd been avoiding her since her sister's death but I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to face her. The look in her hazel eyes made me think _'Uh oh.'"_

"Olympic." She greeted.

"Mauretania." I said.

"You've been avoiding me." She scolded.

I shrugged. "You think I _want_ to talk about it?" I asked.

"Do you think _I_ want to talk about it?" She shot back.

"Fine, go ahead. Yell at me." I said.

Mauretania looked surprised. "Why would I yell at you, Olympic?" She asked.

"I couldn't save everyone, I couldn't save Lusitania." I bowed my head in shame.

Mauretania's eyes flashed with pain at the mention of her sister's name but she didn't say anything. "Olympic, there was nothing you could've done. I warned her it was dangerous. The Germans knew what she was doing. They knew she was an AMC." She sighed.

"There's one thing they didn't know." I said.

Mauretania looked at me curiously. "What?" She asked.

"That a part of our government was counting on Luce's sinking. They'd hoped it would anger the US enough to declare war on Germany. Or at the very least render more aid to the Entente and less to the Alliance." From the look on Mauretania's face I knew that I should've kept my bow shut.

"Did, did Luce know?" She stammered.

"Yes, she knew. That's why she didn't want me near. She knew there was a submarine following her." I replied.

Mauretania's eyes narrowed. "Which sub?" She asked.

"I think it better to focus on surviving this war rather than revenge." I said.

"Which one?" She repeated, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"U-20." I said. Mauretania turned to leave.

"Mauretania," I called. She paused. "Don't try anything stupid. Submarines work in packs and you cannot get them on their own unless you sink first."

Mauretania sighed. "I'm not chasing submarines if that's what you're suggesting." She said. "But I will get my revenge somehow." She moved closer.

"Thank you for telling me this, Olympic." Mauretania whispered. I nodded.

"I have a confession of my own to make. I should've told you this a long time ago but, Lusitania told me to keep it quiet."

I knew that whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Go on." I said tersely.

Mauretania sighed. "The Switch Plan wasn't a hoax, it was a trap set by Campania." She admitted. My eyes widened.

"She knew that Titanic would give White Star the upper hand in the immigrant trade so she spread a rumor that White Star was going to switch you with your sister. Campania was relying on Titanic's self-sacrificing nature to do the job for her. She was hoping Titanic would take matters into her own props, and she did."

I shook my head. "Why didn't you tell me this before? Why didn't you tell me this as a warning?" I asked angrily.

"I didn't know about it until after Lusitania became leader. Come to think of it, you don't know how that happened do you?" She asked.

"Camponia was attacked and killed by a German merchant ship and Lusitania killed it in revenge." I replied.

Mauretania shook her head. "Is that what she told you?" She sighed.

"Well it was a lie. Lucy discovered what Camponia did and killed her in revenge." My eyes widened.

"Campania was very careful with her plan, she kept it secret from my sister. I don't know how Lusitania found out but when she did, she was furious. In her eyes, Campania had gotten away with murder." Mauretania said.

"Well she was right about that." I muttered.

"Lusitania wasn't about to let justice go to the scrapyard. She decided to give Campania what was coming to her." Mauretania continued.

"One day, Campania was going about her business as usual. No other ships were around, except my sister. She was hiding behind a bank and ambushed Campania from behind. My sister's move was brilliant. She broke Campania's neck and the older ship never knew who killed her. She blamed a German ship for her death and claimed to have killed it in revenge. It wasn't hard to fake it as Lusitania's move cost her a few broken ribs." Mauretania finished.

"Wow." I whispered. "Why didn't she ever tell me this?" I asked.

"Because, if White Star found out, the alliance would've been ripped to shreds. The alliance is everything, it's the key to our survival. She kept it from you because she knew what would happen if she said anything." Mauretania replied. I nodded.

"The alliance is important to all of us, my sister was well aware of that. In the last order she gave me before she died, Lusitania told me to maintain the alliance between Cunard and White Star. But I need your consent to have it continue 'till the war's end. May I have your permission to continue our alliance?" She asked.

"Mauretania, you already know the answer to that. Yes, we will continue our alliance. Not for ourselves, but for our fleets who will fare better if they're not constantly trying to best each other in speed and luxury records." I said.

"Then we shall work together as equals." She murmured.

I nodded. "As equals, with neither leader's decision outweighing the other. Does that sound fair, Mauretania?" I asked.

The Cunard leader nodded. "Fair enough." She allowed.

"We should let our fleets mingle, to allow them to be friends for once." She suggested.

"Mauretania, that's the best idea I've heard you come up with." I said.

"You don't think my other ideas were good?" She asked.

"I was too focused on Lusitania, she being leader, to notice." I admitted.

"As her deputy, I expected as much." She said. "And while on the subject of deputies, Celtic should meet Aquitania soon."

"You named Aquitania your deputy?" I asked.

Mauretania nodded. "Yes." She said.

"And if she is lost to a U-boat? Submarines don't just target specific ships they want, they go after loved ones if they can't kill their targets. It's a cruel form of harm that is only used in war." I said.

She shrugged. "I should be used to submarine attacks by now, but I'm not." She admitted.

"Nor am I." I replied. "You're not the only one who has one sister remaining." I added.

"I thought you still had two." Mauretania teased.

"Arizona's not kin, but I see her as my sister." I replied.

"Speaking of which, we have a launching ceremony to get to." Mauretania said.

I groaned. "Don't remind me." I sighed.

"I thought you wanted Arizona to be launched?" Mauretania said, confused.

"Of course I do, what I don't want are all the navy ships that are going to be there." I grumbled. Mauretania laughed.

"Yes, they can be annoying can't they?" She said.

"Yes, and bossy, rude, loud and totally immature. Especially Americans." I growled.

This time we both laughed. "For a White Star liner, you're not so bad, Olympic." Mauretania said.

"And for a Cunard greyhound, you're not so bad yourself, Mauretania." I replied.

It was with high spirits that we entered New York Harbor later that day, just in time for the launching ceremony.

Arizona looked wonderful in her somber gray hull with a black stripe on her waterline and a red keel. The stars and stripes were raised over her shell and she flew a launching flag at her stern. "You made it." She said.

"I told you I would." I replied.

Just then, the warning rocket sounded. I backed off. "You'll do great." I whispered and took my place in the line of ships. I had Mauretania on my port and Pennsylvania on my starboard.

"Still haven't changed your mind, I see." Arizona's sister growled.

"It's not a question of _my_ mind." I muttered.

"Arizona can be quite stubborn when she sets her mind to something. It runs in the family." Pennsylvania said.

"I think kin would be the more appropriate word as I don't ever see you go anywhere near her." I growled.

"I've already told you, it's forbidden." She said.

"I see destroyers doing it all the time, the cruisers too." I said.

"Cruisers and destroyers are not the pride of the US fleet." She snapped.

"Oh and battleships are I suppose?" I said sarcastically.

"Yes, actually they are." She replied, catching me off guard.

Our conversation was interrupted when the final rocket was fired skyward. Arizona's hull creaked and groaned as the hydrologic triggers were pulled.

Then the beams holding her fell away and the 600 foot long shell of the battleship moved easily into the New York harbor with scarcely a ripple.

I was the first to start whistling and the last to stop. Pennsylvania tried to match me but her small horn was no match for my large baroque steamer one. She growled in frustration. "Ha." I laughed.

"You just wait." She muttered ominously.

Arizona was moved to her berth for fitting out. I approached her. "You did amazing!" I told her.

She shrugged. "To be honest, I was terrified." She admitted.

I heard a small hiss behind me. I turned to see Pennsylvania glaring at Arizona in disapproval. Arizona stuck her tongue at her sister.

"Very mature, Arizona." She called.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, Pennsylvania you can just sail off. I'm sure the coast needs patrolling." Arizona retorted.

Pennsylvania glared at her. "Fine." She huffed and sailed off.

"Pennsylvania doesn't like me divulging my feelings so easily, I may as well be sharing US military secrets with the Germans." Arizona muttered.

"You're a neutral, I'm a belligerent. What if you do enter the war on the side of the Germans?" I asked.

She sighed. "I don't know." She replied. "Follow orders, I guess."

"It doesn't matter to me if we're on different sides, with you there are none. I'm always on your side." I said. "What if the other ships make me tell your secrets if we're on opposite sides?" She asked.

"No one can make you do anything." I scolded. "They can order you, they can torture you, they can do everything they can to get you to talk but the decision to do so is your own in the end. Like when your captain gives you an order, such as turning. He can give it, but it's up to you to accept it, therefore allowing it to be affective if you do." I explained.

"Really?" She asked. "Really." I promised. "Remember, it takes two to perform any action, the captain and the ship." I said.

She pressed against me. "You have so much weight on your decks, Olympic. Yet, you handle it better than any of the battleships around here. I am, so proud of you." She whispered.

Her words sounded eerily close to those that Titanic uttered when we were together in Belfast, shortly after her launch.

Just like I did then, I raised my bow over hers and pulled her close to me. "Not nearly as much as I am proud of you." I whispered back.

After a few seconds, she pulled back. For the first time that night, I saw fear in her gray eyes. "What is it, Arizona?" I asked.

The battleship met my gentle gaze. "I'm afraid for you." She whispered.

"You're a belligerent, and will soon be a troop transport. At least hospital ships are internationally protected but you'll be a target for submarines. You already are."

I stroked her side reassuringly. "There's nothing to be afraid of." I told her.

"Oh yes there is _plenty_ to be afraid of." She snapped.

I sighed. "You remind me of Titanic." I said.

"How do I?" She asked.

"You're stubborn, selfless, and sacrificing." I replied.

"How often do you think of her?" She asked.

I looked away. "All the time." I replied. "When I dock in New York, I think about how close I was to sharing my dock with her. When I rescued Audacious' crew, the sight of her reminded me of what Titanic looked like the night she sank. And when I rushed to rescue Lusitania's passengers, I was reminded of my race to reach her before she sank, a race that I lost." I looked away.

"I don't know, she's always there, always in the back of my mind. As much as I try to forget, as hard as I work to block those memories, I can't." I answered.

Arizona brushed her bow along my side. "I can't imagine what that must've been like." She whispered. "How hard that must've been for you."

I nodded. "It only became harder when I learned the truth behind her sinking." Arizona listened. I chose my next words carefully. I didn't want to upset her, even I found them disturbing.

"Titanic heard that White Star was planning a switch, they would sink me disguised as her as part of an insurance scam. But it wasn't real. Campania, then leader of Cunard, had devised the rumor. My sister had a self-sacrificing nature. She would die to save others, especially me. Campania was counting on that. Titanic killed herself by hitting the iceberg to prevent White Star from scuttling me. She hoped they would realize that a double loss would be a death blow, and they'd never do it. She died without ever knowing that it was a trick." I finished.

Arizona's eyes were wide. "How can you live with such trickery?" She whispered.

I shrugged. "Look around you, Arizona. The world isn't free of deceit, it never will be." I replied. She nodded.

"I understand." She murmured. "This war is already full of deceit. Germany has proven that by spilling innocent American blood."

I winced. "Lusitania's death was a horrendous act that will not go ignored, Mauretania and I will make sure of that." I promised.

"Don't do anything stupid." She said.

"Like chasing submarines?" I asked. She nodded. "Don't worry about that. I won't need to chase them, they'll come and chase me before I can search for them." I said.

"That's where dazzle will come in handy." She said, referring to the bright pattern paint job that was meant to confuse the enemy and prevent them from getting a correct fix on their target. I shuddered.

"Stripes aren't my thing. I look fat enough already." I muttered.

Arizona laughed. "You look just fine to me." She said.

"They'd better not paint them yellow or brown." I grumbled.

Arizona smiled. "I won't laugh, whatever color you appear in." She promised.

I nuzzled her gently and she nuzzled back. "I love you." I whispered.

"I know." She whispered back.

"My sister." I murmured. "My sweet little battleship." As I said it, I realized I meant it and when I looked into Arizona's deep gray eyes, I could see she felt the same way.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 WEDDELL SEA DECEMBER 7 1915 _"ENDURANCE"_

I was 2 days out of South Georgia. From the rumors I'd been hearing about the ice, it sounded as though I would have to bash my way through a thousand miles, just to reach Vahsel Bay.

Then, I saw it. Through the foggy haze and mist there it was, the ice pack. It looked beautiful but my instinct told me that this ice was no friend of mine. I was eager to begin ice bashing but Shackleton told me to wait.

"We're way too far north." He told me. "I don't want to enter it here. It would mean we'd have to smash our way through 1500 miles of ice at least. And I don't want any more bashing than we can get. We'll skirt around for a while, see if we can find another way in." He said.

"Humph" was my response. Reluctantly, I skirted around the edge of the pack, heading east. I was looking for an open channel closer to the coast. The results weren't good. For a full day I skirted around the ice, looking for a way in.

Finally, Shackleton decided to enter the pack. It was more open than where we first came across it. Happy to be moving south at last, I shoved some growlers aside at the edge.

They were harder than stone, but I barely noticed. My 7 foot thick keel and 4 foot thick bow and sides made quick work of the stuff. Soon enough, as I got further and further south, I had to push some big floes aside.

It was almost too easy. One hard push from my bow was enough to break the flow in two. It created an open lane of water that I could squeeze through.

All day, I pushed ice around. In a way, I kind of felt like a tank, pushing and shoving my weight around like it was nobody's business.

The men took the day in watches. 8 hours on, 8 hours off, all day, 24-7. The three chief watchmen were 1st officer Lionel Greenstreet, 2nd-in-command Frank Wild, and Captain and Sailing Master Frank Worsley.

Each watchman had his own way of moving me. Greenstreet liked to move in open lanes of water, nudging the bergs gently aside with my bow.

Wild could twist and turn through the maze of ice, finding open leads where no one thought possible.

Worsley thought it was great fun to back me up in an open lane of water and charge full ahead onto the floes, my hull shuddering with the impact, then back up again as the floe broke apart.

I liked Worsley's way the best. I liked to ram the floes, it was fun. But it got on Shackleton's nerves, so now he would monitor Worsley's floe ramming. Much to my disappointment.

We made progress and soon were farther south than anyone has ever been. We were at Latitude 76.270S, and there was a strip of land nearby. Shackleton named it Caird land, after the expedition's prime benefactor. "That'll make the old bugger happy." He said.

I laughed. "Then why don't you name all the new places after your benefactors." I asked.

He grinned. "Too many for this land." He admitted.

"Why not call that bay Wills Bay?" I wondered.

"Or that spit Docker Point?" He suggested.

"You catch on fast." I told him. He shrugged.

We stopped to let the men lay some stores in the bay and then continued south. For the next few days I pushed through the ice towards my destination at Vahsel Bay.

But my progress was soon stopped, just a mere 60 miles north of the landing point or a full day's sail.

Shackleton ordered to heave to and I was anchored to the floe to wait and see if it would open up. It didn't, for several days we waited and it was then that I came to realize that I wasn't going anywhere.

I was "Frozen like an almond in a chocolate bar" according to Thomas Orde-Lees. "So much for progress." I muttered.

"That's an understatement." Shackleton muttered back.

Like Belgica before me, I was beset in the ice and completely at the mercy of the Weddell Sea.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 NEW YORK HARBOR OCTOBER 20 1915 _"OLYMPIC"_

I came into the harbor that morning. It would be my last trip to New York. Technically, I was supposed to be in Halifax and that's where everyone thought I was.

But I snuck out. Using control to reach New York was difficult and I lost valuable time in skirting the ice fields up north.

Arizona was at her navy berth. Three days earlier, she'd been formally commissioned. She beamed when she saw me. "Olympic!" She cried, throwing herself at me.

"Hey there!" I laughed, returning her embrace.

She looked at my new paint job. "Not bad." She allowed.

"I look ridiculous, don't I?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "A bit." She admitted.

"But, it does keep subs from training their crosshairs on you, so I'd be thankful for that." She added quickly.

I groaned. "I told Harland and Wolff 'No yellow!' and of course they gave me yellow." I grumbled.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it for your commissioning." I said.

She shrugged. "S'Okay, Olympic. You were away so long, I was getting worried. You're here now though." She said.

"I can't stay long though." I warned. "My crew still thinks I'm in Halifax. I put the watchmen to sleep with some liquor, it wasn't hard since the men hadn't had a taste of the stuff since we left England, but it won't last and I have to be back there before they and the shore crew, realize I'm gone."

Arizona's eyes widened. "You controlled all the way from Halifax." She asked. "Well, I did need the harbor pilot to guide me out or else that would've raised a few eyebrows but yes, yes I did." Arizona whistled.

"Impressive. Blimey Olympic, I didn't know you could do that." I shrugged. "Mauretania says I'm giving Oceanic a run for her engines but I doubt it." I said.

She rubbed against me. "You're safe, and that's the big thing." She murmured. I sighed, regretting what I had to tell her.

"Arizona, when I leave here, I won't be coming back anytime soon, I'll be in Canada, ferrying troops. You're a neutral and I'm a belligerent, I'm not allowed." She shrugged.

"Then, I'll go and meet you." She said.

"NO!" I exclaimed so fiercely that she shrank back. I took a deep breath.

"No," I said again. "It's much too dangerous. Neutral or not, you're still a battleship and can be easily mistaken for an enemy. I heard that one of your destroyers almost got hit by a torpedo from the German submarine it was tracking." I told her.

"I don't care." She snapped. "I don't care how dangerous, how rough, how infested the waters are. I'm coming with you and that's that."

"Oh, you are not!" I growled.

"Well, I can't stay here can I?" She asked.

"Oh, you can bet your engines you're staying here." I retorted.

Her eyes narrowed. "And if I don't come with you. I'm a neutral, submarines wouldn't dare attack me. I could be your escort, you'd be safe." She said.

"And how long will this neutrality last, Arizona. You tell me?" I snarled, my patience wearing thin.

"The US is getting fed up with Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare. The Kaiser has been called a murder for the sinking of Sussex and Lusitania. It's only a matter of time before you enter this war too." I said.

"Then at least let me escort you to the border. I heard Wilson's allowing US escorts for Allied shipping across the danger zones. I could escort you to Halifax." I shook my head. "I'd only put you in danger. I can't do that." I said.

She sighed. "Olympic, I'm a battleship. I'm built for war. And here's a war going on right across the Pond and I'm stuck here in New York while enemy submarines lurk just 10 miles off the coast. Already, several US vessels have been sunk. I can't just dock and do nothing!" She snapped.

"You can always do runs along the coast, I'm sure it needs patrolling." Pennsylvania called, in perfect imitation of what Arizona said several months earlier.

"Zip it, Penny." Arizona growled.

"You watch your tongue with me missy. I could have you on watch duty at certain coordinates in a flash." Arizona winced at her sister's words.

I looked at her questioningly. "Tell you later." She mouthed.

I nodded. "I better go." I told her.

"Olympic?" Arizona began to protest. Pennsylvania cut her off.

"USS Arizona, it's time for RMS Olympic to _go._ " She growled.

Sighing, Arizona backed off, muttering something in Latin at her sister. Olympic wasn't sure what it was but she was sure it wasn't complementary towards battleships with the name Pennsylvania.

Her eyes narrowed. "Ok, that's it!" She yowled.

"You're on watch duty." Arizona's eyes widened. "Oh no." She moaned.

"Oh yes." Pennsylvania snapped. "You go out there and you stand guard, I don't want any other sinking ship hitting that zone. Entente or Allied, you understand?" She asked. Arizona nodded sadly.

"And you," She added, turning to face me. "You have work to do. I appreciate you coming here, it stopped another week's worth of whining in my ears, but don't expect to be welcome here again unless you are a passenger or hospital ship."

I nodded. "I understand USS Pennsylvania." I murmured.

"Alright, now go, both of you. Arizona will escort you north to the Grand Banks. She'll be stationed there for the next week anyway." She ordered. I nodded. Arizona raised her bow in salute, I copied her. Pennsylvania returned it. "Dismissed." She said.

Arizona and I turned out of the harbor. Once we were in the open sea, I turned to her. "So what was all that about? The watch duty thing?" I asked. She sighed.

"There is one area of ocean that most of us avoid. We battleships are trained in all the ways of war, not just fighting but the Code of Honor as well. One unofficial rule that we always follow here in America is that we never sail over an important grave site, we never go near one if we can help it. If something tragic occurred there, it's unapproachable to us. No battleship can approach within 5 miles of the sunken ship's resting place, or its last recorded position." I nodded.

"And she wants you to stand guard over one?" I asked.

"It's not the code that bothers me. I'm already an established rule breaker. No, it's the position." She said.

"Where?" I asked.

"Latitude 49.410N. Longitude 50.140W." She answered.

"But that's…" I whispered.

Arizona nodded solemnly. "Titanic's last known position." She finished.

"I understand, Arizona." I murmured.

"I don't want to go there. But if I must, may I have your permission to see your sister's grave?" She asked.

I nodded. "You have it." I replied.

We'd been sailing for hours when we reached our parting point. I would go north back to Halifax and Arizona would continue east to Titanic's grave site. We shared a brief embrace, and reluctantly, Arizona let me go.

I headed off north, wondering if I'd survive long enough to ever see her again. Arizona watched me go, thinking the exact same thing.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 GRAND BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND OCTOBER 1915 _"ARIZONA"_

I watched Olympic disappear over the horizon. "Be safe, sister." I whispered. I saw Olympic as my sister. Pennsylvania may've been kin, but she was distant and cold.

I knew she wanted to be close to me, but the code prevented her. She was stronger than I was, she could push her feelings aside and follow the rules with ease. Sometimes I envied that ability of hers.

In danger of drifting, I shook my head to clear it. I turned my attention to the water below. Somewhere down there, resting in the darkness of the ocean floor, was Olympic's real sister. I was jealous and a bit angry of Titanic.

Jealous, because she had everything I'd ever wanted. A sister who loved her, a family who cared for her, a fleet who was kind to her.

I was angry because she had thrown that all away. I know why she did it. She did it to save her sister and she died without ever knowing that her sister never needed saving in the first place.

I wondered that if I ever had to make a choice like that, I could do what Titanic did. Could I sacrifice myself to save the ship I loved?

"Oh, Titanic," I whispered. "You died to protect Olympic. I beg you to protect her now, I'll do anything, give anything, just protect your sister!" I cried.

 _"_ _She is your sister too, Arizona."_ A voice replied. A ship shimmered into view. She had White Star's colors, a black hull and white superstructure with a golden trim.

Her four funnels were buff with a black band at the top, to hide the effect of smoke. She looked so like Olympic that for a few seconds, I thought I was looking at her, until I saw her eyes.

Olympic's were dark amber, this ships were a fiery shade of crimson, sparkling with the power of the Ancients.

"Titanic." I whispered.

"Yes." She replied.

"Why would you come to me?" I asked.

"I broke the code, I took your sister and because of my selfishness Olympic's been banned from New York. It's the only large port where she can be truly safe. I've put her in danger, I've greatly reduced her chances for survival. And yet, you say Olympic's _my_ sister. You should kill me and damn my soul for all time." I growled, bowing my head.

"You've made her happy, Arizona. You've given her a sibling she can love. That's all I want for her." Titanic replied. "As for damning your soul, only Methos can do that."

"But I've put her in danger!" I wailed.

"These are dangerous times for everyone." She said.

"She's your sister, not mine. I have no right to…" I began to protest but Titanic cut me off.

"Sisterhood is more about love and friendship than blood, Arizona. Olympic loves you as if you were her own. This is a free world, you have every right and every reason to be with her. And she has every reason to be with you." She said.

"But the code!" I cried.

"The code serves as more of a guideline than an actual rule." She said. "That's how it was in the 18th century and that's how it still is today."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"I've broken a few myself." She admitted.

"You didn't have to die." I whispered.

"I know." She said sadly.

"Oceanic had warned me about my good nature. She said it could become my fatal flaw if I let it. I should've listened to her wisdom. I never should've fallen for Campania's trick." She whispered.

"But I did, and I hurt Olympic because of my foolishness. I'll never forgive myself for her pain, pain that I caused." She bowed her head. I reached over to stroke her side with my bow, relieved that I could touch her.

"If you want her happy, I'll keep her happy." I said.

Titanic gave me a wry smile. "And you're jealous of me?" She asked.

"I'm jealous of you. Oh not of your status as a naval ship, not of your power, but because you now do what I cannot. You can make Olympic happy, all I've done is hurt her." She said.

"Olympic loves you, Titanic. She hurts because she loves you. Try as I might, I can never take your place in her heart. But I will keep her happy for you." I said.

"I know you will, Arizona." She murmured, nuzzling me. "Stay safe, for our sister's sake, as well as your own." She said.

"I will." I promised. Titanic's crimson eyes bored into mine as she said _"You will be stronger than Ice. And like it, you will carve your path through the mountains of history. But beware, even the strongest ice can be melted by fire."_ And with that prophecy, she vanished.

Looking up at the darkening sky, I said "I will do everything I can to keep Olympic safe. Even at the cost of my own life, I swear I will. Until she passes unto the waters of the Ancients, and you'll be together again."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 DECEMBER 23 1915 LONDON ENGLAND _"BRITANNIC"_

"I name this ship, His Majesty's Hospital Ship, Britannic. May god bless her, and all who sail in her!" I felt a surge of pride as I was formally commissioned into His Majesty's Navy.

Olympic was docked nearby. A month earlier, she had been commissioned as a troop transport. Her dark amber eyes were alight with pride. "I am so proud of you." She whispered.

"I haven't brought anyone home yet." I replied.

She smiled. "But you will soon." She promised.

"You'll be leaving for Greece in a month. There's an Allied fortress on Lemnos, you'll evacuate troops there to Southampton, via Naples." I grunted. "Mediterranean, lovely, I'd prefer the Irish Sea." I muttered. Olympic winced.

"Come with me, Britannic. There's something you should see." She growled. She turned downriver towards the English Channel with me, knowing I was in trouble, following. Olympic halted at the mouth of the Thames.

"Look out there." She said.

I did. "What do you see?" She asked. "Ships, both White Star and Cunard." I replied.

She nodded. "My fleet." She said. "Their safety is my responsibility, just as Cunard's fleet is Mauretania's responsibility. All I want is to keep them safe, and I can't do that if some ship decides to have a disregarding attitude for danger." She scolded.

I bowed my head. "Sorry, Olympic."

She smiled. "You're forgiven." She murmured. She looked out onto the horizon.

"What are you thinking about, sis?" I asked.

She looked back at me. "Titanic." She replied. I nodded.

"Do you- do you think about her often?" I asked.

"Now with the war on, with so many ships falling prey to submarines, and Lusitania's death, I think about her every day." She said.

"What about her exactly?" I asked.

"I could use her strength, her spirit. She would always encourage me when I needed it. She was stubborn too, she would think we could win this war and would argue with me for hours on it." She replied.

"Seeing the other ship's out there is bad enough, but having to see you out there, sis. I've already lost one sister, I cannot lose another, not in this way." She whispered.

I brushed against her. "I know." I murmured.

"It's far too dangerous sis, please don't go." She whispered.

"I must, I have no choice." I replied. "You always have a choice. Stay here or at least come with me. There's strength in numbers." She said. "I have lives to save." I murmured.

"Britannic, even a hospital ship isn't fully protected from the threat of submarines." She said.

"I know, but it's worth the risk to bring home 3000 wounded soldiers to their families." I growled.

"Nothing is worth a life, Britannic. Not even 3000 for yours. If you sink, so do the men. Most will likely die anyway, there's no point in taking them back to Britain." She replied.

"Yes there is, at least they can be with their families when they go. Not in enemy territory." I snapped.

"Britannic please, don't do this." She begged. My green eyes were intense as I replied "I must, as a hospital ship, as a healer, it is my duty." She sighed. "I don't want to lose you." She whispered.

"You won't." I replied. She shook her head, far from convinced. "I know you're afraid, Olympic. I understand that. But you need to let the past go." I told her.

"I expect you'll get tired of hearing this but, you are so much like your sister." She whispered.

"I may be, but I am Britannic, not Titanic. I am my own ship and I can take care of myself. I know the risks, every ship does, and the possibility is there, I could die. I've accepted that, I did a long time ago." I replied.

"Britannic, please." She whispered.

I tried hard to ignore the pain in her voice. "Just let me go, Olympic. You'll have to if I am to help us win this war." I ordered. She sighed.

"There's nothing I can say to stop you?" She asked. I shook my head determinedly. "Very well." She said at last.

"You may go. But take it slow, don't try and rush things, leave that to Mauretania and Aquitania. And for Neptune's sake, BE CAREFUL! You may be a hospital ship, but that doesn't mean you're invulnerable to mines." She warned.

I nodded. "I understand, Olympic." She nuzzled me, I nuzzled back and we shared a brief embrace. Reluctantly, she let me go. "Godspeed, Britannic." She whispered.

"And to you." I replied.

Turning away, I steamed for Southampton to provision for my long voyage to the Mediterranean and Lemnos, where thousands of young men awaited my arrival.

I didn't know it then, but that was one of the last times I ever spoke to Olympic.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 OCTOBER 1915 WEDDELL SEA, ANTARCTICA _"ENDURANCE"_

For one year I had been beset in the ice. I don't know how far I drifted but Shackleton told me I was at 59oS Latitude, that's about 2000 nautical miles from where I was one year before.

The pressure began later that day. It nipped and nudged at my sides. To it, I was just an obstacle in its Grand Design.

I know it was only a matter of time before I was crushed. But I would not go down without a fight. I shoved back with all my might against this white enemy and the pressure subsided. I knew the ice would be back soon though.

Sure enough, a few days later it was. It came suddenly and unexpectedly, forcing me over 30o to port before I knew what was happening. With my bulwarks resting on the ice and the ice still pushing against my side, I was left breathless.

Anger coursed through me. The pressure was agony, yes. But this ice had trapped me for a year, keeping me from being a real ship, it had carried me 2000 miles from my goal at Vahsel Bay and now it was endangering the lives of my men. I had had enough!

"You may crush me." I snarled at it. "But I'll be dammed if I move over one more inch for you. I'll see you melting in hell first!" I pushed back with all my strength and was able to force the horrid ice off me.

"Well done, Endurance!" Captain Worsley cried. The men echoed him. Breathless, but triumphant I reveled in my victory but I should've known that ice doesn't give up so easily.

I should've known that no matter how hard I fought, how hard I tried to free myself, what the ice gets, is what the ice keeps.

The ice returned with a vengeance. After my previous two attempts to shake it off, I was weakening. I couldn't hold much longer. The ice was relentless, determined to sink me, to crush me, to kill me. I would fight this enemy until I sank or could fight no more.

I was in the worst possible spot to fight though. The ice had jammed against my port bow, starboard side, and port quarter. It was literally trying to move me to three places at once.

It was incredibly painful too. Sometimes, it would nip at my sides and I'd wince. Or, it'd jam against my hull and push hard, causing me to gasp and strain. Even the men noticed my struggle. "How much more can she take" was the common question?

On October 30, I reached my breaking point. All three floes began pressing simultaneously. I shrieked in agony.

I tried to fight back, but the ice was just too powerful. After one month of fighting relentless pressures beyond belief, I was exhausted. I couldn't go on. I had no choice but to surrender myself to the ice.

"Get out of here while you still can!" I cried to the men.

"Endurance, we can't do that." Captain Worsley said. Some of the men agreed with him.

"I can't hold much longer." I argued. "You have to leave before I'm crushed." Captain Worsley was about to argue but a look from Shackleton kept him quiet. Shackleton nodded.

"Listen to her, she's right." He whispered to Captain Worsley. "Abandon ship!" He gave the order. The men scrambled onto the ice.

Only Shackleton remained behind. "I let you down." I whispered.

"No, Endurance, no. You carried us for 5000 miles of unknown territory. You've never even been out to sea before, this was your maiden voyage. You were properly named, that's for sure. _Fortitudine Vincimus,_ 'by endurance we conquer,' my family motto. You were beyond our highest expectations. You did a good job, Endurance and I'm proud of you." He murmured.

"Stay safe." I said. He nodded.

"Godspeed, Endurance." He said.

"And to you, Boss." I replied. He stroked my side in farewell and left.

I couldn't fight anymore, my timbers were crushed, my keel was torn, and I didn't have the strength to fight. Panting and gasping, I was left on the ice to die. I blamed no one for this, Antarctica was a dangerous place. Many a ship before me had come here, never to come back.

I always knew what I wanted to be in life, an exploration ship to the southern continent. It was every polar ships dream. It was a dangerous job yes, but I loved it nevertheless.

The ice squeezed against my sides again. Some of my timbers cracked and then broke with a report like artillery fire. So much for escaping the Great War that was going on back home. I shrieked in pain. Once the wounds were open, I could feel the pains of Sand Sickness setting in.

The only way to cure Sand Sickness was to repair the injuries that caused it. I didn't have that luxury. For a while, I coughed an agonizing dry cough.

Then, as my injuries progressed, I was coughing up blood. A ships blood emerges from the body as the dark, black liquid petroleum. Even if the ship runs on coal, she'd still spit oil.

That's why the ice was black all around me. When the men returned a final time for some supplies, they found it was impossible. I had sunk lower, so my top deck was level with the ice. I watched them turn around and head back to Ocean Camp.

I was only afloat because the ice was holding me, once it let go, I would sink. On November 21, 1915, the ice did. For almost 2 years, it had held me. For one month, it had tortured me. Now, it was finished with me and I was relieved that it was over at last.

 _"_ _You must live, my men. You must survive. Think of your family, think of your friends. Think of your brothers who are fighting a war, who are holding on because somewhere, their brothers are giving them a reason to fight. You are England's reason. You are what the Lion of Europe fights for. Survive, live, go home, they are waiting for you."_ I cried to them.

The men murmured their assent and waved goodbye. "Farewell, Endurance!" They called. I heard both Shackleton's and Worsley's voices in my head as they were both my skippers.

 _"_ _Farewell, our brave and gallant little ship. May you rest in peace, sailing with the Ancients. Where there is no suffering, no pain."_ They thought.

 _"_ _Thank you, my friends."_ I thought back. And with a sigh, I vanished beneath the ice.

Miraculously, I was still alive when I hit the ocean floor, but the resulting jolt was the last straw.

I didn't try to fight it. I knew it was a losing battle. So I closed my eyes and allowed Death to wrap his arms around me and take me home, to the Ancients.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 MURDROS MEDITERRANEAN, GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN JANUARY 1916 _"OLYMPIC"_

After 3 long months, my part in the Gallipoli Campaign was nearing its end. The operation had been a disaster.

Almost half of the young men I'd brought to the Greek shore either rode on hospital ships or never came home at all.

Most of these men were boys between ages 18 and 19. It made me sad to think that their lives ended so suddenly and so violently, and in my mind, needlessly.

"They knew they were getting into war when they signed up." Aquitania said.

"But that's just it, they didn't sign up." I replied.

"I heard that England's lowered the drafting age from 19 to just 16." I explained. Aquitania shook her head in disbelief.

"Poor things." She whispered. She was thinking the same thing I was. When England lost the older, more experienced men to the enemy, they brought in the younger amateurs.

There was a common saying amongst the soldiers that if you lived for 6 months you were a veteran. If you lived to be 21, you may as well have been 120.

Our thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the hospital ships. Scanning the ranks, I quickly spotted the largest ship of the group.

Her four funnels and bright green eyes were an instant give away. "Britannic!" I cried. Britannic looked around and her eyes rested on me. I ran forward.

Breaking rank, she rushed over. I hugged her. "Thank god you're safe." I whispered.

"Thank god indeed." She replied.

We broke apart and I pulled back to look at her. Her green eyes were dark with memory. "What happened?" I asked. She sighed.

"Arabic was torpedoed and sunk." She answered.

"Go on." I said, struggling to keep my voice calm.

"We passed by just as the last passengers were being rescued. She replied.

"How many were lost?" I asked.

"Around 50, 2 Americans among them." She replied.

"God." I whispered, shaking my head.

"What's America doing about it?" Aquitania asked.

"So far, nothing! They're being very isolationist. I don't know what we have to do to get them to see that we need them here!" Britannic growled.

"Surely they're doing something!" Aquitania cried, desperate for some response from the powerful country.

"President Wilson has called submarines 'the nuisance of the seas.' He's ordered US ships to escort neutral convoys to Britain. He's giving all out aid to the Entente. Not a single grain of food, a gun or a bullet is going to the Alliance." Britannic said.

"Well it's not like shipping could reach Germany anyway. Given that there's a wall of British battleships blocking them." I said.

Aquitania winced. "Can you please not talk about that?" She hissed.

I nodded. "Sorry, Aquitania." I said.

She nodded. "Thanks, I was just hoping that America might enter the war." She said.

"I know how you feel, Aquitania." I murmured.

"My sister _died_ to get America involved on our side as a belligerent. The least I expect of the country is a more supportive response." She growled.

I sighed. "They'll have to act soon or they'll be seen as weak." I said.

Aquitania looked at me, an idea lighting her eyes. "What about Arizona, she's a battleship in the navy right? Maybe you could talk to her." She said.

"I won't use her like that!" I retorted.

"Somehow, I don't think you'll have to ask." Britannic growled.

"She was pestering me about an escort, but it would only slow me down." I said. "If I know Arizona, and I do, she'll do everything she can to get America in the war, with or without my asking. I just hope she doesn't pull a Lusitania." I muttered, ignoring Aquitania's wince.

"The sinking of their battleship at German hands would get America into the war for sure." Britannic said thoughtfully.

"Don't suggest it to her." I snapped.

Britannic backed up. "You really think that I'd hurt you that way?" She asked.

"If you did, I wouldn't blame you. I've spent more time with her than you." I said.

Britannic rolled her eyes. "For such a great ship Olympic, you can be so thick sometimes." She said. "If Arizona makes you happy then that's good enough for me." She butted me affectionately on the shoulder.

By now, the other hospital ships had docked and were loading on wounded soldiers. "Britannic, you've got 3300 this time!" Mauretania called. Britannic sighed.

"Unfortunate." She said.

I nuzzled her. "Nobody likes war, Britannic." I murmured. She nodded sadly.

"Are you coming too?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"I've got troops of my own to take to Liverpool." Britannic nodded.

"How many?" She asked.

I knew what she was asking. "Less than 1000 of my 6000 initial troops remain this trip." I answered.

Britannic sighed. "I've got 500 of yours to take. In total only 2000 of yours are coming home." She said. I bowed my head.

"They're just boys. And to think, if I didn't carry them here, they wouldn't have gone and gotten themselves killed!" I whispered.

Britannic pressed against me. "It's not your fault, sis. These men knew the risks, draft or no draft." I nodded, too overcome with emotion to say anything.

"It'll be over soon." Britannic promised. "It has to be!" But to me, it sounded as though she was trying to convince herself.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 MEDITERRANIAN, GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN, JANUARY 1916 _"BRITANNIC"_

Olympic and I traveled together in a mixed convoy of troop transports and Hospital ships, escorted by destroyers and heavily armed cruiser escorts.

I doubted submarines would risk an attack on a retreating convoy, especially one with hospital ships in it.

But that didn't mean that a sub could lay a mine in our path for us to fall on. Sure enough, the leading destroyer escorts swerved away from two mines that lay directly in our path.

Fortunately, Olympic and I had enough time to dodge and avoid them. Another converted liner wasn't so lucky.

She tried to avoid it but it exploded amidships. She shrieked in pain. "Provincia!" Lyone, a cruiser called.

She turned around and raced back to assist the sinking liner. The ship was sinking fast. She couldn't have more than an hour to live.

Beside me, Olympic watched in horror. Her amber eyes haunted with memory. "It wasn't your fault." I whispered. She shook herself free of thought.

"Stay here." She growled and raced off to assist. I was about to follow anyway, when Fury, another destroyer, stopped me.

"You're full enough as it is. This is something Olympic must do on her own." I understood. My sister had demons of her own to overcome. Nodding, I backed alongside Mauretania.

Olympic approached the French liner. "Hurry, Olympic!" Provincia groaned. Most of her passengers had already gotten into lifeboats.

Expertly, Olympic maneuvered in alongside the small things, bringing them aboard three at a time with her new steam winches.

She hauled them up to the deck railing where the passengers were met on deck by waiting crewmen and were escorted inside where they were looked over by a doctor.

Olympic got all the passengers aboard, and then moved back as Provincia sank below the surface. Before she did, her eyes met Olympic's. "Thank you." She whispered. Olympic nodded.

"Find peace with the Ancients, Provincia. Find peace where there is no war." She said. With a sigh, Provincia sank out of sight and died.

I turned away, blinking back the tears forming in my eyes. Olympic approached, Lyone met her halfway.

"You did good, Olympic." She said.

Olympic nodded. "Thank you." She murmured.

Fury came forward. "You had plenty of demons to face there." She said.

Olympic sighed. "Yes, yes I did." She said.

"Most ships couldn't have done that." Fury said gently.

Olympic bowed her head. "Go to Britannic." She said. My sister nodded and came over to me.

"When you went over there, in those untested waters, I was afraid…" I broke off. Olympic nuzzled me.

"If it was too dangerous for me to go, I wouldn't have gone." She murmured. "These are dangerous times for all of us though." I reminded her. She sighed.

"I wasn't sure if I could do it. I wanted to, but I felt as though I was reliving it all over again. First Titanic, then Lusitania, all their passengers, dead, because I couldn't reach them in time." She whispered.

"It wasn't your fault, sis." I scolded. "Lusitania's death had nothing to do with you and Titanic made her own choice and a noble one at that." Olympic shook her head.

"I never told you." She said.

"Told me what?" I asked.

"I never told you that Titanic's choice was unnecessary. That the so called Switch Plan by White Star was a plot set up by Campania." My eyes widened.

"Campania was relying on Titanic's sacrificing nature. She hoped Titanic would take matters into her own props and she did." Olympic murmured.

I whirled around to face Mauretania. "Did you know about this?" I asked.

She nodded. "I did, but only after Lusitania became leader and she made me swear not to tell. I did eventually tell Olympic though."

My sister nodded. "And I thank you for that." She said.

I nodded. "And Campania, what about her?" I asked. Olympic and Mauretania exchanged glances.

"When Lusitania found out what Campania did, she was furious. She killed Campania in revenge." Olympic answered. I looked at Mauretania.

"Do you agree with her?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Do you?" She asked.

"I don't know." I answered, pressing closer to Olympic.

We arrived at Liverpool a few days later. Olympic and I docked side by side. White Star lengthened the dock to accommodate two of us at a time.

My captain, Charles A. Bartlett, had some news for us. "You're going back to Belfast after this. For now, your wartime duties are over." He said.

I was surprised. After three voyages to the Mediterranean, my time as a hospital ship was over.

I looked at my sister and could see that she was thinking the exact same thing as I was.

 _We're safe!_


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 NEW YORK FEBRUARY 1916 _"ARIZONA"_

"We have to get involved!" I growled to my leader, New York.

"No." She said.

"Ships and men are _dying_ over there right now. And Germany's U-boat threat is larger than ever. Convoys are being sunk just three miles off the coast." I argued.

"I've made my decision and it's final!" New York replied.

"But!" I began to protest.

"No means no, USS Arizona." She snapped.

"Fine!" I growled.

New York's eyes softened a degree. "I know you want to help Olympic. But we're not at war with Germany." She said.

"Not yet." I muttered grimly.

"True, we could be soon. But we aren't now and I expect you to behave like a neutral, not a belligerent, do I make myself clear?" She said.

"Yes, USS New York." I replied, saluting.

She saluted back. "Dismissed." I dipped my head and headed out.

I had to figure out a way to get the US involved in the war. New York had said that I couldn't try and convince the government to step in, to behave like a belligerent.

Although the meaning was clear enough, she didn't say that someone else couldn't behave like one. I could always get someone else to do it for me.

What I needed was someone on land with enough power and popularity to control Wilson's decision and I knew just the man for the job.

Teddy Roosevelt was waiting for me when I arrived in Virginia. "Right on time, Arizona." He said.

"I don't waste a person's time." I replied.

"So, you want to get into the war?" He asked.

I nodded. "Come aboard and I'll tell you." I said. He did.

"Britain's taking a pounding over there. The Gallipoli Campaign was a disaster. Young men are dying and every day, liners are sinking." I said.

"Anyone in particular?" Teddy asked shrewdly. The man didn't miss a thing.

"RMS Olympic." I replied.

"Big liner." Teddy whistled. "You know she has another sister?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, she told me about Britannic." I answered.

"You want to get into this war because of Olympic?" He asked.

I nodded. "She's a sister to me." I replied.

"I understand, Arizona." He murmured. "I heard that a liner in Olympic's convoy hit a mine and sank. Olympic could easily have been that ship." I growled.

"Why don't you help then?" He asked.

"I can't. I've been ordered to stay in New York." Too late, I realized my mistake.

"If you break orders here, you can break orders there." He said.

"It was hard enough just to arrive here." I said.

In a naval fleet, orders aren't just given, they're felt. One ship, the leader, gives the group an order and they follow it, in an almost zombielike way.

We have no choice, we are literally bound to our leader. But I saw sense in Teddy's words. If I disobeyed once, I could do it again. But I had to be careful for disobedience demanded the highest price for just that reason.

"I'll do what I can." I muttered.

"Good. Now, I'll need a better reason than Olympic to convince members of congress." He said.

"Tell them that men are dying out there. Some no older than 15 or 16. Convoys are being sunk less than 10 miles off our coast. They could even sneak into a harbor and attack. And we'd be caught totally by surprise because we've done nothing to prepare for it!" I growled.

Teddy smiled. "I'll see what I can do." He said.

I brought him back to the dock. "Let's get those krauts." I growled.

"With pleasure!" He growled back. I dipped my head in farewell and headed out.

I wasn't going back to New York, I was going to disobey orders and go to Southampton. As I left the Chesapeake Bay behind, I met up with Nevada.

The older ship was kind and understanding of my dilemma. She agreed with my view on the war and I knew I could trust her with my secret.

"Running away are we?" She asked.

"I'm going to Southampton." I muttered. She nodded. "If anyone asks, I'm patrolling the Caribbean." I whispered.

Pennsylvania wouldn't travel that far south if she could help it. She didn't like the tropics as the humidity ruined her paint job.

"Just be careful, Arizona." Nevada murmured. "There are submarines everywhere."

I grinned. "Don't worry, I'll stay safe." I promised and headed out into the Atlantic.

Olympic was a marked ship. She was the target of a submarine and once you were a target, the sub wouldn't stop until it sank you. I had to warn her, I just hoped I wasn't too late.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 BELFAST IRELAND MARCH 1916 _"OLYMPIC"_

Most of my luxurious fittings had been installed. I had lost my wartime garb and was repainted in White Star's livery. I didn't realize how much I missed those colors.

Britannic was beside me. It was the first time I had seen her without her hospital ship scheme.

"You look amazing, sis." I said.

She laughed. "You don't look so bad yourself." She replied.

"How're you feeling?" I asked. She shrugged.

"Luxurious." She answered.

I smiled. "You'll be in passenger service before you know it." I said.

"And you'll be beside me?" She asked.

I nodded. "Of course I will." I murmured and nuzzled her.

Just then, a workman came up to me. "Olympic, there's a ship here to see you." He said.

"It's probably Adriatic coming in to remind me of the need for yarrow." I muttered to Britannic.

She smiled. "I've been looking, believe me." She said.

"Alright, let her in." I sighed. The workman nodded and left.

A few minutes later, a battleship appeared. Her gray eyes flickered around briefly before resting on me.

"Arizona!" I cried. She loped over. "What are you doing here?" I asked, embracing her.

She laughed. "Patrolling the coast was getting a little boring so I decided to come here." She said.

"Well, I'm glad you managed to escape Pennsylvania." I said.

"Oh, she doesn't know I'm here." She said. I nodded.

"What's going on, sis?" I asked.

She sighed. "I came here to warn you, Olympic. You and Britannic are in danger." She said.

"We're at war, everyone's in danger." Britannic growled.

"This is different!" Arizona said. "You're both targets of submarines." I leaned forward.

"Explain." I said.

"Once a submarine has chosen a specific ship she wants to sink, she'll never let you go." She explained.

"What submarine is after us?" I asked.

"U-103 wants you, Olympic. She's a torpedo submarine and so won't have to surface. U-73 has chosen Britannic as her next victim. She's a mine-laying sub and so won't have to break the rules of the Geneva Convention to sink her. If I were you, I'd watch what's below the waves." She said.

"Convenient, except we can't see what's below the waves." Britannic snapped.

"There's no need to be rude." I growled.

"Its fine, I understand." Arizona said.

"No, Olympic's right. I'm sorry for being rude but right now, I'm low on supplies and ships are coming in by the dozens a day, injured." Britannic growled.

"What do you need?" Arizona asked.

"Marigold, yarrow, juniper, nettle, cobwebs, and that's just for starters." Britannic replied.

"There's a huge stockpile along the East Coast if you need some. There's a lot of everything as a matter of fact." Arizona said. Britannic's eyes brightened.

"Is there enough to share?" She asked.

"There's almost too much growing." Arizona replied.

"Are you sure we're allowed to take some? Your navy needs it too." I said.

She shrugged. "There's plenty to go around." She said. "Besides, I'm breaking all the rules now anyway." She added.

"Will Pennsylvania be mad at you?" I asked.

"I'm not telling her anything. She'll probably assume that Canada's taking the stores. They are at war and the herbs are used mostly then." She said.

"Where can I find them?" Britannic asked.

"There's a huge store up in Halifax." Arizona replied. Britannic nodded.

Before Arizona could say more, a workman approached. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Olympic but I've got some news for you." He said.

Sighing, I turned to him. "Yes?" I asked.

"The Admiralty is in need of your services. You think you can make another trip?" He said.

"Yeah, where to?" I asked.

"Halifax. Britannic will go back to Murdros and evacuate more wounded men." He said.

I nodded. "I'll get those herbs for you. You just stay safe." I said.

"I'll do my best." She replied.

"Halifax?" I asked the workman. He nodded. "Ok. When do I leave?" I asked.

"In two weeks." He answered.

"You'll get a new dazzle coat and you'll leave March 21." I nodded.

"I'll go with you." Arizona murmured. "I'm heading that way anyway." She added.

"Won't you get into trouble?" I asked.

"No. Only Nevada knows where I am and she's an expert at keeping her mouth shut." I sighed, knowing that there was no arguing with her. She was as stubborn as Titanic. I turned back to Britannic.

"You won't do anything stupid while I'm gone will you?" I asked.

"You're worried about me doing something stupid? You're the one who's crossing the sub hot spots without international protection!" She exclaimed.

"True enough." I admitted.

I nuzzled her. "Stay safe, I'll see you in a couple of weeks." I murmured.

"You too." She murmured back.

We shared a brief embrace, I could feel Britannic shaking. "Easy, don't be afraid." I whispered.

She nodded. "I love you." She whispered.

"And I love you." I murmured.

I touched my prow to hers and looked into her bright green eyes. "Stay strong, for your family and for your country." I said. She dipped her head.

"Godspeed, Olympic." She said. "And the same to you Britannic. My White Orchid." Reluctantly, I turned around and headed to the drydock where workmen were waiting to dazzle me up.

"Just as long as there's no yellow this time." I grumbled.

Arizona laughed. "Dazzle will be dazzle." She said. I just groaned.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 NORTH ATLANTIC MARCH 1916 _"OLYMPIC"_

I had left Liverpool four days earlier and had turned the corner a few hours ago. It wasn't the right course for Halifax but I wanted to make a little detour. I was early anyway.

"I never thought I'd want to see this place again." I said to Arizona.

"I understand, Olympic." She said.

I slowed down as we neared the spot where my sister, Titanic, sank beneath the waves.

"I'll be nearby. If you need me, give me a yell." Arizona said.

I nodded. "Thank you." She dipped her head and vanished into the fog.

Although I couldn't see her, I could hear her moving nearby, patrolling. If any other ship came near, she'd make sure it'd sail somewhere else.

I looked down to the water below. "Hey, sis." I muttered. "I really miss you. It's getting difficult up here. The German submarines sank Lusitania, Sussex, and Arabic. They nearly got Baltic a couple of days ago. If there was ever a time I needed your courage, your strength, it's now. Please sister, I cannot do this alone." I whispered. But there was no answer, just the waves splashing gently against my hull.

I halted outside the harbor at Halifax. "You sure you won't come?" I asked Arizona. The battleship shook her head.

"No, Canada's a belligerent, I'm a neutral. It's against the rules. Besides, I'll be in enough trouble as it is." She said. I sighed.

"You didn't have to do this." I said.

She smiled. "I know." She murmured.

I nuzzled her. "If only this could be easier." I sighed.

"Nothing in this life is easy Olympic." She said. I knew how true that was.

"I'd better get going. Pennsylvania will be mad enough without me being late as well." She growled. I nodded.

"Stay safe. Don't break anymore rules for a while now. I'll come and visit when I can." I murmured.

"Don't stay away too long." She begged.

"I won't, I promise." I whispered. She dipped her head and left.

I picked up a pilot from the lighthouse and headed in. There was a crowd on the docks waiting to meet one of England's largest steamers.

I tried to look confident as I pulled up to the dock. It was 200 feet shorter than I was so I hung out quite a ways. There were several tugs waiting to push me in. they'd placed a guardrail around the end of the dock to protect my overhanging stern.

As soon as I was secured to the dock, a water boat and a coal tender approached. Halifax was bringing all available resources to bear to accommodate me.

Compared to the other boats in the harbor, I was a fuel guzzler. If it became too difficult for them to manage me, then I would leave.

I didn't want to be an extra burden on an already strained city. "You don't need to do this." I growled as the small bats approached. "Other ships don't take as much as I do."

"Don't be ridiculous." The coal tender snorted. "You're helping us win this war."

I tried again. "I take a majority of your stores and whatever's left is distributed to the 18 other HMT's here." I warned. The water boat shrugged.

"It's a good thing we came prepared then isn't it." She replied and began loading on my water.

"That feels good, thank you." I murmured.

"You're giving our men the chance to fight for their country. There's no greater honor than that." The water boat said.

I fell silent as they loading 3000 tons of coal and 1000 gallons of water aboard. The troops I was to transport across the Atlantic came up the gangway around sunset.

"Shouldn't you finish loading the coal first before the men come on? All the portholes are closed and coal isn't exactly dust free. Why not have they come aboard after you've loaded the coal on?" I said.

"That's a good idea, Olympic." The coal tender said.

"I'll have a word with the harbor master. See if he approves." I nodded.

By now, the last lump of coal and gallon of water was put aboard. "All done." The coal tender announced, backing away.

"If there's anything else we can do just let us know." The water boat said.

"There is one thing. Could you tell me where I can find the herb stores?" I asked.

The coal tender nodded. "There's a bunch of everything growing at the harbor entrance." She replied.

"What ones do you need?" I gave her a list. She whistled.

"You're low on everything." She said.

"And out of most. My sister's a healer's apprentice. She was told about the large store here but she's evacuating Murdros." I said.

She turned to the water boat. "Go get a little bit of everything from the herb store." She ordered. The water boat dipped her head and left.

A few minutes later, she returned carrying a bundle of plant stems and leaves. "There's some yarrow, marigold, goldenrod, horsetail, dock, juniper, oak leaves, and just about everything else." She said.

"I don't know how to thank you two." I said.

"By doing your job of course. Bring your soldiers to Britain and win this war." The coal tender replied. I nodded.

The soldiers were all aboard and my crew was ready to go. "Stay clear of those submarines." The water boat said.

"I will." I promised.

I headed out into the harbor, stopping only at the entrance to drop off the pilot before turning my bow towards England.

Ahead of me lay 300 miles of submarine infested ocean, where I could vanish without a trace and never know who killed me.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND APRIL 1916 _"MAURETANIA"_

I was just finishing my provisioning when Olympic arrived. "You made it!" I cried.

Docking beside me, she said "I was afraid I wouldn't."

She looked tense and was shaking slightly. "Scared?" I asked. She nodded.

"I was terrified. Just, just give me a second here, Mauretania." She said. I nodded and fell silent.

Her troops disembarked and were taken onto trains to report to their commanding officers at their base camps.

She was still shaking and her amber eyes were wide. Her captain stroked her along her bridge wing. "Easy, easy." He murmured. Reaching over, I nuzzled her side. Slowly but surely, Olympic relaxed.

"Thank you." She said. I nodded. "Anytime, Olympic, anytime." I replied. "I don't know if I can do this." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"With Britannic in the Mediterranean and the rest of my fleet scattered across oceans, I can't do a thing to help them. I don't know how you stand it, Mauretania." She wailed.

"Now you listen to me, Olympic. In war, there's bound to be danger, there's bound to be death and it is not your fault." I growled. She shook her head, far from convinced.

"Did you get those herbs for Britannic?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yes." She replied and reaching into one of her compartments, she pulled out two larges bundles of plant leaves and stems.

"There's a bit of everything in here." She said. "Can you give these to Britannic and Carpathia when you see them?" She asked.

I nodded. "Sure, Olympic." I said, taking the bundles. "This is a good months' worth of stock here. Great job." I praised her.

She dipped her head. "Halifax has got a huge stockpile." She said.

Before I could say more, Adriatic entered the harbor. She looked worn. "Adriatic!" Olympic called. The healer looked up.

"Olympic, you made it back." She cried.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Olympic replied. I pulled out the bundle of herbs.

"Olympic got these for you at Halifax." I said.

Adriatic grinned, her tired blue eyes brightening. She examined the herbs closely. "Yarrow, oak leaf, marigold, goldenrod, you may've just saved the whole fleet with these, Olympic. Thank you." She cried.

"Don't thank me, thank Arizona." Olympic said.

"She's the one who told me about the stores." Adriatic nodded. "If I see her, I'll thank her. But that'll most likely mean she'll be at war."

Olympic winced. As much as she wanted America involved, it would mean putting Arizona in danger. Olympic had already lost Titanic, and watching Britannic go off to war was hard enough, but if something happened to Arizona…. Olympic didn't even finish the thought.

Adriatic looked long and hard at her leader. "Whatever happens, it's not your fault." She whispered. Olympic sighed.

"That doesn't make it any easier." She said. "I know." Adriatic murmured, brushing her side gently with her bow.

"Now, sleep." She ordered. Olympic looked as though she wanted to argue but with a sharp glare from me she kept silent.

"Fine!" She growled.

"Don't worry, I can keep an eye on things." I said. She nodded and yawning, she closed her eyes and fell asleep while I watched the stars of the Ancients swirl overhead.

"Lusitania, if you are up there, I need you now." I whispered. But the only answer I got was the stars twinkling down at me.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 SOUTHERN OCEAN AUGUST 1916 _"YELCHO"_

I steamed at full speed towards Elephant Island. Four months ago, Sir Ernest Shackleton and five men set out in an open boat to South Georgia Island.

Now, winter was setting in and I had to hurry if I and Shackleton were going to pull off a successful rescue this year.

My biggest worry was ice. My hull was made of metal and the memory of Titanic just four years earlier was still very fresh.

I shuddered to think what that must've been like. For some fortunate reason, I saw no ice and soon Elephant Island was in sight.

I had never seen such a more remote, desolate place. But that made it seem all the more pitiful for the thought of the 22 men left stranded there.

The sun was rising as we neared Cape Wild, where the men had their base camp. We were so close, they should be able to see us.

Sure enough, I saw men scrambling around the beach. There was an explosion of flame as they ignited a signal fire. But there was no need, I had seen them and so had Shackleton and Captain Pedro.

Shackleton ordered a boat lowered and rowed to the shore. Then he began the process of ferrying men and supplies back to me. Once the last man was aboard, I turned north for Punta Arenas.

As I did, I saw the shimmering outline of a sleek black barkentine. Her glacier blue eyes were like 2 large sparkling moons.

"Thank you for rescuing my men, Yelcho." She whispered. "You're welcome, Endurance." I replied. She dipped her head and vanished.

"Come on." I sighed to the men. "Let's get you home." I took one last look southwards, towards desolate Elephant Island and beyond that, the Weddell Sea, where Endurance gave up her life for her men.

"You won't be forgotten, Endurance." I whispered. "Your name will become legend. You will be the spirit of the Antarctic, the way to victory!"


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 HAMBURG GERMANY NOVEMBER 1916 _"MAJESTIC"_

After 2 years at dockside, I was getting a little antsy. I'd never been out to see before as my maiden voyage was delayed due to the war. But I was preparing to make a break for it now.

My sisters, Imperator and Columbus were fast asleep beside me. I had enough fuel for about 400 miles or a single maintenance run.

With the rest of the fleet bottled up in Berlin, my sisters and I were the only ships here, and they were asleep. I wouldn't get another perfect opportunity like this one.

Timing the swell, I picked up the slack on my mooring lines, pulling them taut and let the current do the work for me.

Once I was free, I fired up my engines and made a run for it. Moving way beyond my designated top speed at 28 knots, I quickly left Hamburg behind and was in the English Channel.

"Yes!" I shrieked. Before I could enjoy my freedom however, I spotted a large ship on the horizon.

She flew the British flag and her white hull and golden smokestacks identified her as a hospital ship. She saw me and changed course in my direction. "Identify yourself." She called in what I recognized as the universal Shiptongue, English that is.

"My name is Bismarck." I replied, my German accent heavy as I was still learning the language.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, halting just 20 feet from me.

"I'd like to see you lay dockside for 2 years." I growled.

"You have no captain." She noticed.

"No, I've never been given one." I said. She frowned.

"You mean, you've never had a maiden voyage?" She asked.

"I would've, had it not been for this bloody war." I growled.

"The war has taken a lot from everybody." She said.

"Well we can agree on one thing." I muttered.

The hospital ship sighed. "Come on, I'll escort you home." She said. I knew better than to argue and allowed her to move up close alongside me.

"Which port?" She asked. "Hamburg." I replied. She nodded and we proceeded in silence.

"You a passenger liner?" She asked, breaking it. I nodded. "I would've been. My sisters, Imperator and Columbus have already seen passenger service. I snuck out of port when they weren't watching." I said. "You?" She shrugged.

"I've got 2 sisters as well. One's already sunk and the other is serving as a troop transport in Canada." I nodded.

"I'm sorry." I said. "It's ok. Olympic's a strong ship, she'll survive. And Titanic never saw the horrors this war brings. You're lucky you still have your sisters with you." She answered. I nodded.

"You ever see passenger service?" I asked. She shook her head. "No." She replied. "Do you think you ever will?" I asked.

"As long as I follow the rules, I hope so." She replied. She slowed as we approached Hamburg. "This is as far as I go. You are on your own from here." She said. "Thank you." I murmured. "Britannic, my name is Britannic." She said. I dipped my head.

She turned to leave. "Britannic?" I called. She paused. "Stay safe out there, all right?" I said. She nodded.

"I will. And no more runs into the English Channel. Not all ships are as kind to intruders as I am." She said. "I understand." I replied. She left.

As I docked beside my still sleeping sisters, I realized how similar I was to Britannic. The hospital ship was also the youngest of a trio.

She'd never seen passenger service. But unlike me, she had already lost one sister and was separated from the other by miles of unforgiving, submarine infested ocean.

I looked at my two sisters and knew Britannic was right. I was lucky, so many weren't. But I began to wonder if it was really luck at all that we were still here? Or was it simply injustice and inequality?

Yet again, I was forced to ask myself the question "Where do my loyalties lie?"

At one time, I might've answered "Germany!" without hesitation.

Now, I wasn't so sure.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 KEA CHANNEL MEDITERRANEAN NOVEMBER 21 _1916 "BRITANNIC"_

I was on route to the British held island of Lemnos, also known as Murdros, for my 6th round trip of wounded soldiers and civilians to take back home.

It saddened me to see such young lives wasted like this. But this was war, and war was never good for anyone.

Did I believe that England could win? Yes I did. But I also believed that in war, no one really wins. How can you win, when lives are lost? I didn't know the answer to that and I doubted I'd ever find one.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion on my starboard side, just below the bridge, followed less than a second later by an upward jet of water. I'd hit a mine. I shrieked in pain as my hull was blasted open.

Captain Charles A. Bartlett was quick to respond. Known as Iceberg Charlie due to his cautiousness, driving me aground to prevent me from sinking was just his style.

Kea Island was 3 miles away. When I started in this channel, I was in 600 feet of water, now I was in 400 feet and dropping. The question was, would I make it to the island?

Oh Neptune, the irony. My sister sank by an _iceberg_ and my captain's nickname is Iceberg Charlie. And I was made to be stronger than my fallen sister and yet, here I was 4 years later, suffering her same fate.

The more I moved, the faster water came aboard. My propellers were coming towards the surface as my bow dipped lower and lower and my forward motion slowed.

Kea Island was now 2 miles away but I knew I wouldn't make it. Bartlett knew it too. He ordered the engines shut down but not before 2 lifeboats and 30 people were smashed to bits by my churning propellers. "So sorry." I whispered.

Bartlett waited for everyone else to leave before climbing into the last lifeboat with the other officers. "I'm sorry, Britannic." He whispered. "There is nothing to be sorry for." I replied.

Before he left, I gave him the herbs for the fleet. He'd promised that Adriatic would get them. "Oh, Adriatic!" I cried. "I let you down."

I thought of Olympic and the news she'd soon receive. I remembered her reluctance to let me go. She had already lost one sister and now she would lose another.

"I'm sorry, Olympic. I'm so sorry!" I wailed. I hit the bottom with a jolt. For a few seconds I did a headstand, then the weight became too much. My bow pivoted in the sediment and I broke my neck.

Darkness washed over my eyes and I was dead before my propellers hit the ocean floor.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA DECEMBER 1916 _"OLYMPIC"_

After a week of provisioning, I was ready to go home. My troops were loaded on from the trains. Many were impressed by my sheer size. I was the largest ship they'd seen after all.

"She's amazing!" One said.

"A wonder of the age!" Another claimed.

"She's got to be the empire's largest ship!"

Technically, I wasn't England's largest ship as Britannic was larger than me, but there praises felt good nonetheless.

Captain Hayes walked onto the bridge, looking grim. "What's wrong, Hayes?" I asked. He didn't answer in words. Instead, he placed his hands on my wheel and showed me.

In his mind I saw the Marconi message from Captain Bartlett explaining Britannic's sinking. "No." I moaned.

"I'm so sorry, Olympic." He whispered.

"No, she can't be dead, she can't be!" I wailed.

Snapping my mooring lines, I raced out of the harbor. "Britannic!" I cried. "Britannic, please answer me!" I tried everything, from the normal string of connections to the direct sisterly link. I even tried my special power, thinking it might work, it didn't.

I was going so fast, I wasn't watching where I was going and I nearly collided with Arizona emerging from the fog.

"Olympic!" She exclaimed.

"Move aside!" I yowled.

She moved to let me through before turning around and following me. "Olympic, wait!" She cried, racing to catch up.

"Go home, Arizona." I growled.

"Olympic, what's going on?" She called.

Since I didn't answer, I saw a flash of gray as Arizona raced past and blocked my path. "Stop, Olympic!" She yowled.

I halted to avoid hitting her. "I have to get to Britannic!" I snarled at her. "Now let me through." I moved forward when she didn't budge and tried to shove her away.

"Olympic, there's nothing you can do." She whispered.

"She needs me!" I cried, pushing vainly against the heavier battleship.

"There's no point. She's gone, Olympic." She said.

I knew she was right. Britannic wouldn't ignore me, not when I was calling for her like my life depended on it. Something inside me snapped and I gave up fighting.

I collapsed against Arizona. The battleship grunted at the sudden extra weight but she managed to shift and press her bow against my side.

"Easy, easy." She whispered. Her voice was calm but tight. She was struggling to keep her emotions in check.

"Why? Why her?" I sobbed.

"I don't know." Arizona whispered.

"They killed her. I'm the one they want. Why don't they kill me? I want to die. Oh Neptune, please kill me. I want to die!" I wailed.

"Don't you say that? Don't you even think it for a second?" Arizona growled.

"You're a battleship Arizona, you have the weapons. Shoot me!" I snarled.

"I could never hurt you, Olympic." She whispered, her eyes widening in shock. I shook my head.

"Come on, you still have men to deliver if you ever want to see this war ended." She said and nudged me towards Southampton.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 MUNICH GERMANY DECEMBER 1916 _"MAJESTIC"_

I don't know how word reached me of Britannic's death but when it did, it hit me hard.

I was shocked and disgusted with Imperator's attitude about it as well.

"That's one less competitor on the North Atlantic run." She said. That did it. I turned on her.

"You think death is a good thing?" I shouted. "What if that was me or Columbus out there?" I asked.

"But it wasn't." She argued.

"But what if it was?" I persisted. When she didn't answer, I went on.

"Olympic had already lost Titanic on her maiden voyage in 1912 and now she's lost her remaining sister. I can't imagine what she must be feeling." I shook my head.

"This is war, you can't expect everything to be fine." She said.

"But not like this." I whispered. "Not in this cruel, barbaric, murderous way." Imperator fell silent.

Columbus now spoke up. "Bismarck, I understand what you're feeling. War is never good for anybody." She said.

"Then why fight in it, if it's so bad?" I asked.

"Mm, that's the question isn't it?" She replied. "And I think, it's the question that keeps men fighting for the answer."

I bowed my head, blinking back the tears that were forming in my eyes.

"Help me, Columbus. I'm torn, I don't know who's I am anymore." I whispered. I had never felt so lost in my life.

Columbus nuzzled me and I looked up to meet her stormy gray eyes. "Listen to your heart, Bismarck. For that's where the true answer lies." She replied.

How could I, when I didn't know what it was saying.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 SOUTHAMTON ENGLAND DECEMBER 1916 _"ARIZONA"_

"Can't you do something?" I asked Adriatic.

The old healer sighed. "I can give her as many herbs as I can but nothing can heal a broken heart." She replied.

I turned to Olympic. The once proud leader of the White Star Line was docked and motionless.

Her amber eyes, once so bright and full of life, were now dull and lifeless. Only Adriatic's expert eye could see she was alive. She'd been like this since we'd arrived at Southampton a day earlier.

She wouldn't sleep or take on more provisions. When the dockmen came to load on supplies she scared them off. I'd found that more frightening than her lasting silence.

Adriatic had given her herbs to eat but they still lay untouched in front of her. Sighing, I left Adriatic and docked next to Olympic. She didn't give any sign that I was there.

Brushing against Olympic, I nuzzled her. "Come back to me, Olympic. I love you, just please, come back." I whispered. If she heard me, she gave no sign. Sighing, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

A train whistle woke me in the middle of the night. I opened my eyes. Beside me, Olympic was gazing at the stars.

"Olympic?" I asked.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" She said.

"Yes." I replied. "Oceanic once told me they are the spirits of lost ships. Known as the Ancients, they watch over the rest of us and guide us through our lives." She explained.

I nodded, unsure of what to say. "Watching them, I realize that I have to carry on, for my sister's sake and for that of the fleet." She said.

She looked at me, her amber eyes were still sad but they were brighter now. "Thank you, Arizona." She whispered, nuzzling me. I nodded.

"You're my sister, Olympic and I love you." I whispered.

"And I love you." She replied.

I nodded towards Adriatic's herbs. "Eat those." I ordered. She grimaced.

"Dipped in seawater?" She asked. "Yep." I replied. She shuddered.

"If you want to get better, you'll eat those plants." I growled. She sighed.

"Just promise me you'll stay here." She said.

"I'm not making any promises, but I will leave right now if you don't eat up." I growled.

She sighed. "For such a small ship, you can be quite annoying." She said.

I grinned. "I know."


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 NORTH ATLANTIC JANUARY 1917 _"OLYMPIC"_

I was really beginning to hate these crossings. All I was doing was ferrying men to their deaths.

Almost 2 full months had passed since Britannic's death. As shocked and as saddened as I was by it, I knew that I had to carry on.

She would've wanted me to be happy. How could I though? I was the lone survivor of White Star's Olympic-class liners.

But I still had my fleet, I still had Arizona. The battleship was unique and in many ways, she seemed more merchant than naval.

I didn't deserve her love. After everything I put her through. I'd gotten her in serious trouble at home.

I'd just heard that Pennsylvania had broken all relations with her, because of her closeness to me. And although she said otherwise, I knew it was my fault that she was practically disowned.

Meanwhile, relations between America and Germany were worsening. I knew it would be only a matter of time before America joined the war.

Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare had deeply angered them. Arizona and the other battleships were busy escorting convoys across the Atlantic.

The last straw came in March, when British intelligence intercepted a German telegram to the embassy in Mexico.

The Zimmerman telegram asked Mexico to join the war against Britain in exchange for the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Britain warned America of the threat.

President Wilson called a meeting of congress on April 4. At first, the delegates were hesitant about any response but by April 6, America was officially at war with Germany.

With America's entry into the war, the Triple Entente became known as the Allied Powers, consisting of Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Japan and the United States, the Triple Alliance on the other hand, became known as the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Italy had surrendered to the Allies and was now assisting in our operations. So much for loyalty.

I slowed outside Halifax to take on the harbor pilot. "Morning, Olympic!" He said.

"Morning." I said.

"Finally, we have a chance. America's in the war. Germany and Austria don't stand a chance!" He exclaimed.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, it's great isn't it?" I muttered. I docked at my assigned berth. As glad as I was for America's aid, I was afraid for Arizona. She was now a belligerent and would be in danger of German patrols.

"This may sound weird, but I don't want America's help." I said to Hayes.

He smiled. "I understand, Olympic." He replied.

"Arizona's a sister to me. I've already lost both of mine. Now she's in danger. What if something happens to her?" I asked.

"It won't." He assured me.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

He sighed. "Because, she's not being sent across the pond to help. We have an efficient supply of coal, but not oil. We couldn't support Arizona here, so she's supposed to patrol the New York coast and escort any Allied ship into the harbor." He replied.

I grinned. Arizona was safe. Apart from submarines, nothing could hurt her and I wasn't too worried about those.

She was a battleship and had a serious armor belt. It would take at least 5 or 6 torpedoes to finish her and just one gave away a submarines' presence, exposing her to the full fury of a battleship's waiting guns.

As usual, the coal tender and water boat came up alongside. "How are you today, Olympic?" The coal tender asked.

"As good as a HMT can be, I guess." I answered.

"Good to hear." The water boat said.

Beside me was another transport named Mont-Blanc. Along with troops, she carried several tons of munitions in her forward cargo holds.

"That's a risky move, that." I called.

Mont-Blanc shrugged. "If England's gonna win this war, it's gonna need munitions." She replied.

I nodded. "Still dangerous though." I said.

"Moving without a convoy is dangerous." She snorted.

"In fact, everything is dangerous in war." She added before I could argue.

I knew firsthand how true that was.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 NEW YORK AUGUST 1917 _"ARIZONA"_

I watched as the other battleships headed out to sea. I longed to join them, but according to Washington, Britain had large supplies of coal, not oil and bringing an oil tanker was not an option. There were too few around to be sacrificed to a torpedo or mine.

"Don't worry, Arizona. I'll bag a sub for ya if you want." Nevada said.

"Do good out there. Kick stern, you know the drill." I replied.

She grinned. "No problem!" She said. I stood back, allowing her and the others to pass. It weighed heavily on me that of the ships I watched leaving now, many would not come back.

"Ah, don't worry about it. There's plenty to do here." My captain said.

I gritted my teeth. "I'm a fighting ship. The least I can do is to go where the fighting is and fight for my country." I growled. He sighed.

"Come on, the coast'll need patrolling now that the fleet's left home." He said. Reluctantly, I admitted he was right and allowed him to take me on patrol along the New York coast.

Several hours into it, I heard a ship. "Halt and identify!" I called with more force than was necessary due to my frustration.

"Arizona? It's me, Olympic." The ship replied. Through the fog, I could just make out her enormous shape.

"Olympic!" I sang, rushing forward.

"Hey there." She laughed, nuzzling me. "How are you?" She asked.

"I'm ok." I replied. "Patrolling is boring though." I added.

"You're not in danger though." She said.

"But that makes it worse. From what I've been hearing, my fleet's survival is even at best. That means that half of the ships that go will never come back." I growled. Olympic sighed.

"New York thought it best that her deputy stay on the Home Front." I muttered.

"You're deputy?" She asked. I nodded. "Of the whole fleet?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." I admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"You never asked." I replied.

"It would've been nice to know that my American sister is deputy of her fleet." She growled.

I shrugged. "Sorry." I mumbled.

Olympic relaxed. "It's ok." She replied.

"You headed into New York?" I asked.

"Yes." She said.

"Come on, I'll escort you in." I said.

"Won't you get in trouble?" She asked.

"No, it's part of the job and Pennsylvania's not around to scold me on it." I replied.

"I heard about your fight, I'm sorry." She said.

"It wasn't your fault. Pennsylvania just doesn't appreciate the true meaning of friendship. It's been coming on for a long time." I said.

"Still, I'd hate to think that you split up because of me." She said.

I shrugged. "We never were close anyway, it doesn't matter."

But it did matter. I wouldn't admit it to Olympic but Pennsylvania's breakup did bother me. It ruined any chance I had, if any at all, of getting close to her.

I did my best to hide it from Olympic but I'd never mastered the art of controlling my emotions.

It was one of those things that set me apart from the other battleships and I could tell from Olympic's expression that she didn't buy the guise for a second. But she had the good sense and respect to drop it.

"I'm really proud of you, Arizona. Deputy, you earned it." She murmured.

I smiled. "Thanks." I said.

I halted outside the entrance to the harbor. "This is as far as I go." I said. Olympic nodded.

"Stay safe out there, alright?" She asked.

I nuzzled her. "I will, I promise." I replied. She dipped her head and entered the harbor.

I had never wanted a ship so badly in my life. I wanted Olympic. I wanted all of her. If only she was a navy ship instead of a merchant ship. If only she was American instead of British. If just one of those 'if only's' were true, life would be so much easier.

But if one of those were true, would I have known Olympic as the ship she is today? Or would I have even known her at all?


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA DECEMBER 1 1917 _"OLYMPIC"_

I was completely provisioned and ready to go. Another transport, Imo was alongside me. She would leave in another week.

"Stay safe, Olympic." She said.

"I will, Imo." I replied. I backed out of my berth and into the not-so-busy harbor.

Lately, inbound ships had been less and less frequent. That could mean 2 things. A. the colder temperatures prevented some ships from getting in or b. America required more ships to transport more men.

I was hoping for the latter. American troops were fresh. They hadn't been fighting a war for 3 years like England had.

The stream of fresh men seemed never ending. Logic told me that was good. National Pride told me it was bad. I could never decide which to listen to.

At around noon, my baroque whistle coughed twice, and then bellowed loud and long. Smoke began pouring from my funnels and my engines turned over.

My props began churning the water 37 feet below the surface, creating a white frothy wake that only grew larger as I moved forward and my speed increased.

I was met at the entrance by a small convoy of cruisers and destroyers. I groaned outwardly. While Britain abhorred the idea of me traveling in a slow convoy, Canada was insistent on it.

My escorts weren't friendly but they weren't hostile either. They were bodyguards and had a job to do. I had gotten used to Arizona's friendliness, even while on duty, so the sudden coolness was a bit of a shocker.

I had 2 destroyers on my starboard bow and quarter, the same thing on my port. One cruiser flanked the destroyers on either side.

There was a small PT boat that was particularly annoying. It zoomed around in small circles like a fly, darting in and out of my sight. The little thing could go around me at least 3 times in 5 minutes. Not bad for a little speedster.

"Will you quit that?!" I yowled to it as it leaped across my bow again. The PT boat just laughed and zoomed around again. Zigzagging in front of me, it winked and raced off again.

As it approached for a third time, I called "Cross my bow again and I'll run you over."

It paused. "Aww, Olympic you wouldn't do that?" It said.

"Do you really wanna find out the hard way?" I asked, revving my engines to prove my point. The little boat shrugged and dropped back to zoom around my stern instead. "Wise choice!" I called. It rolled its eyes and continued on course.

"Just don't pull a Hawke, ok?" I growled, remembering my collision with the cruiser.

"I'll keep my distance." It promised.

The destroyers slowed. "This is where we leave you." One said.

I dipped my head. "Thank you." I whispered.

"Just stay safe." She said and turned back for Halifax.

I had done this many times before and each time was no different from the last.

Sighing, I turned my bow towards England and Southampton where my precious fleet, what remained of it, was anxiously awaiting my return.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND DECEMBER 6 1917 _"ADRIATIC"_

I was in Southampton when the explosion happened.

Going through the supplies, I discovered we were low on goldenrod. I need that plant for wounds. There was little, if any, supply left here in England but there was a large supply in Halifax.

I looked up when I heard a loud noise. Baltic was racing towards me but had been caught in one of her snares. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha! Ha, ha, ha!" Baltic struggled vainly.

"Not so fun when it's you who's caught is it?" I asked.

Baltic glared at me. "Could you just get me out of this so I can tell you what's happened?" She yowled.

"Keep still!" I ordered, and unraveled the line caught in her props. "One of the blades is torn." I said.

"You'll need some poluse to heal it." Baltic shook her head.

"Spare me." She muttered. "There'll be a lot of ships coming in that'll need 'em more than me."

"What's happened, Baltic?" I asked.

She sighed. "There was an explosion in Halifax harbor. Mont-Blanc collided with Imo and her munitions went off." She explained.

"How bad?" I asked.

"2000 people are dead and many more are wounded. Some of the herb stores were destroyed, but most remain relatively intact." She answered.

"While that's good to hear, it means that I can treat those wounded men. Is anyone on scene?" I asked.

"Carpathia's on her way, but she won't arrive for another week at least. One of the setbacks of a convoy is slowness. She's getting a little annoyed. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to make a break for it." She replied. I seethed silently.

The war had greatly awakened my medical senses and I was always on high alert. Now, these senses were in overdrive.

"Help me gather these herbs." I ordered her. Wordlessly, she dipped her head to pick up some plant stems. She handed them to me.

"You need an apprentice to help you." She said.

I winced. "And I did, until she struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean." I hissed.

"Sorry, that wasn't very sensible of me." She muttered.

"You're Baltic, the biggest prankster to ever sail the seas. I've never known you to have much sense." I replied.

"I suppose you're right." She admitted, smiling.

"Alright, I'm off. If Lurania comes by, show her where my stores are. She's welcome to 'em. If you know how to do something, could you help her with it? She may be a quick learner, but she's still an apprentice." I ordered.

Baltic nodded. "Ok, Adriatic." She said.

I frowned. "I've never seen you so agreeable." I murmured. "What's gotten into you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the war? Fighting does change people." She said.

I nodded. "Alright, I'm off. Behave!" I growled. To my great surprise she dipped her head.

"War is no time for fun, I know that now." She said.

I nuzzled her. She stiffened in surprise. "Wow Adriatic, apparently the war's changed you too. I've never seen you so friendly." She exclaimed.

"Oh, shut up and get back to work." I growled.

Baltic laughed. "Now that's more like it." She said.

Baltic was an annoying little ship at times but she was still my sister and I loved her dearly. Looking at her, I couldn't help but smile and laugh with her.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 NORTH ATLANTIC MAY 12 1918 _"OLYMPIC"_

I was on course for Southampton and as usual I was keeping perfect time with my schedule.

Germany couldn't stand up to the joint Anglo-American forces. I wish I could say that Britain gave Germany a real pounding but it was America who was doing all the work.

My thoughts were interrupted by a white streak on the water, heading right for me. "Torpedo!" Captain Hayes cried.

"Engines back full!" He ordered. My speed slowed just enough for the torpedo to cross in front of my bow. Looking around, I saw my attacker as she surfaced.

Captain Hayes turned me away from the threat and I made to run away. The submarine surfaced behind me.

She was identified as SM U-103, a torpedo submarine. All I could think about was running far, far away from this threat. I was a civilian liner turned troop transport. I had no business facing this sub, leave that to the navy.

But then, I thought of something. This sub, U-103, was the cause of all the troubles in the Atlantic.

Her sister's U-20 and U-73 had sunk Lusitania and my sister. I remembered something Arizona had told me about submarines.

Once they'd chosen a specific target, they would never let her go. Even if the war ended, I wouldn't be safe.

U-103 would find a way to sink me. There was only one way to end this. Halting, I took back control from Captain Hayes and raced back to confront the German submarine.

"Ha!" She laughed. "You're kidding, you're kidding right?" I didn't falter. "Do you really think you can sink me?" She asked.

"I can try!" I growled. My deck guns swervled around and fired. With a yelp, U-103 dived below the surface.

"Coward!" I screamed. I had never wanted a fight so badly in my life. What humans would call adrenaline coursed through me.

I was pumped, primed and ready to take on the sneaky, slick dog of the German navy that had been its lifeblood for the past two years, sinking millions of tons of Allied shipping. Now I understood how naval ships felt in a battle.

Dodging in and out of my enemy's crosshairs, I thought of my friends, my fleet, my family, all those who had fallen victim to this little sub. I felt their presence as the dance of battle began.

I felt Lusitania's speed, her frothy white wake spreading out behind her for miles. Britannic's strength, her white hull a battering ram against any threat to her sisters.

I could hear them too. "Give it to her, Olympic!" Lusitania cried.

"Send her to the abyss where she belongs!" Oceanic added.

"Strike one for England!" Britannic called.

"Sink that midget!" Hawke yowled.

I also heard EJ and Tom's voices cheering me on. "Let 'em have it!" They yowled. I was certain that Hayes could hear them too.

Since I took control from him, he let me do the work. Now, he was relaying orders to his men as they appeared in my head by using our connection. We worked, moved and fought as one.

Finally, the end came as a well-timed blow from my guns sent U-103 to try and turn inside my circle. "That's for England!" I shouted.

I had anticipated her move and Hayes had my helm turned hard over to port and ordered a full-ahead ram. "That's for White Star!" I yowled.

She was afraid now. Frantically, she tried to dive but I was way ahead of her. I went full ahead and rammed her just aft of her cunning tower.

"And that's for my sisters!" I snarled to her sinking remains.

"That's 30 of the brutes gone to hell!" Captain Hayes cried to Captain Thompson.

Laughing, I resumed my course to Southampton. From that moment on, I was called Old Reliable. It was a name I would carry to the end of my days.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND JULY 17 1918 _"ADRIATIC"_

I was sorting through my newest stack of herbs when Cedric came racing in. "Did you hear the news?" She asked.

I frowned. "What news?" I asked. "Can't you see that I'm busy here, Cedric." I growled.

"Carpathia's been sunk." She announced.

"WHAT!" I exclaimed. I turned to face her. "Where, when, how?" I asked.

Cedric shook her head and sighed. "In her convoy. Another ship had been hit earlier in the day and she was towing it. A submarine, U-55, hit her with three torpedoes. Even then she took over 5 hours to sink. But not before some of her fireman were killed." She explained.

I didn't try and hold back the tears that were forming in my eyes. Cedric rushed forward and embraced me. I lowered my head to nuzzle her.

"Carpathia was a brave ship. She will not be forgotten." I whispered. I raised my head to look at the emerging stars.

Was Carpathia there now, watching us? I didn't know, but I knew that the Ancients would never leave us.

Shaking my head to clear it, I bid Cedric farewell before setting off to find Lurania.

Lurania was busy sorting her herbs when I arrived at the Cunard section of the harbor. "Adriatic." She said, surprised.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I've got some news for you." I said.

That got her attention. "What's happened, Adriatic?" She asked.

"I don't know how to tell you this but, you're Cunard's healer now. Carpathia was torpedoed and sank this morning." I told her.

Lurania just looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about. Then, she threw her head back. "No. No, no, no!" She wailed, her body spasming in grief.

I moved forward to nuzzle her. "I'm so sorry, Lurania." She nodded.

"I warned her about traveling in a convoy. They're too slow, but she wouldn't listen." She said.

"Carpathia made her own choice. And in the end, it was a brave one. She sacrificed herself to save the injured ship she was towing." I explained.

Lurania pulled back. "That's just the sort of think Carpathia would do. Thank you for telling me this, Adriatic." She said.

"Do you think you could, help me?" She asked.

I nodded. "Of course. I trained Carpathia you know." I said.

Lurania's eyes widened. "You did?" She asked.

"Yes, Cunard had been without a healer for some time, Carpathia knew what she wanted to be and I helped her. What has she taught you so far?" I asked.

"Enough to get by. But with all these cases coming in here, I've got too much to handle." I nodded.

"I'll give you a hand." I said. Nudging her towards her herb stocks I helped her sort things out.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 HAMBURG GERMANY AUGUST 1918 _"MAJESTIC"_

It was 11:00 sharp when the cry went up. "The war is over! The Armistice has been called! The war is over!"

I turned to Imperator. "At last." I sang.

She smiled. "Yes, and I'm glad of it." She said.

"We've lost you know." Columbus muttered.

"In war, everyone loses." I reminded her. She grinned.

"Glad to see you remembered my lesson." She said.

"I suppose this means we're to do our jobs again." Imperator muttered.

"Hopefully." I said.

A week later, Imperator got her answer. "You're to be handed over to Britain as war reparations." Nassau said. "Imperator and Bismarck will go to White Star and Columbus will go to Cunard." She explained.

"Before you go, I want you to tell me where your loyalties lie right now. In a few years' time it'll be to Britain without question." She ordered.

Imperator went first since she was the oldest. "This is my home, this is where I was born and nothing can change that. Long live the Kaiser and long live Germany, I say." She said.

Next, it was Columbus's turn. "Germany. It is the land I know, and love."

Nassau nodded. "Bismarck?" She asked me.

I sighed.

I thought about Britannic and how similar she was to me.

I remembered Olympic and all the suffering she had to see and go through.

After four long years of confusion and indecision, I knew what my answer was.

Remembering what Columbus had said, I spoke from the heart.

"This country may be the land of which I was born. It may be the only land I've ever known. But it is not the land I love and it most certainly is not my home. It never has been and it never will be. Looking back, I know the truth now." I took a deep breath.

"I know where my loyalties lie. My loyalties have and always will lie with Great Britain!"


End file.
